November 14 is World Diabetes Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of and funds for this disease. More than 9 million Canadians are affected by diabetes and thousands are right here in our region.
To help patients in our community manage this disease, York Central Hospital established a Diabetes Education Centre in 1992.
The goal of the centre is to provide adult pregnancy induced (gestational) and pre-diabetes patients, with the tools, support and education they need to self-manage their disease. Although the goal for each patient is the same, the way they get there can vary.
“Every patient is treated independently,” said Gillian Burley RN, one of 11 Diabetes Educators working in the centre. “Each patient’s program is tailored to their specific needs.”
The Diabetes Education Centre is staffed with Registered Nurses, Registered Dietitians, a coordinator and a visiting Chiropodist. All of the Educators are experts in diabetes education.
Patients can self-refer or can be referred to the centre by a health care provider. The centre offers comprehensive diabetes care including individual initial assessments with regular follow-ups to assist with monitoring and self management of blood sugars, medication adjustment, diet education, insulin pump therapy and a foot care clinic. More than 700 patients were seen through the centre last month alone.
In order to meet the needs of our diverse diabetes patients, the Diabetes Education Centre staff offers education in a variety of languages including English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian, Farsi, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi. Cooking classes are also part of the program and include sessions tailored towards several ethnic groups and taste preferences.
The Diabetes Education Centre is an important part of our hospital services and requires the support of our community.
Your generosity in helping to support this program will help ensure this dedicated team of diabetes experts has the equipment and technology they need to continue serving this specialized patient population.
To find out how you can support this program, please contact the Foundation office at 905-883-2032 or donate securely online at http://yorkcentral.on.ca/donate.htm.
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