Chatham Hospital Employees Achieve National Certification in Diabetes Education
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 17, 2006
SILER CITY, N.C. — Chatham Hospital today announced that two of its staff members have achieved national certification as Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE®).
Both Deanna Edmisten and Susan Watson, members of the Chatham Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Program, have successfully completed the CDE exam administered by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE). Achieving national certification demonstrates that both have the distinct and specialized knowledge they need to promote quality care for patients with diabetes. Candidates must meet rigorous requirements to be eligible to take the exam – including 1,000 hours of instruction and two years of practical experience. Edmisten and Watson are among approximately 14,000 diabetes educators nationwide who hold the CDE credential.
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million people in the U.S. with diabetes – approximately seven percent of the population. About 6.2 million of those (nearly one third) have not been diagnosed.
The Chatham Diabetes Self-Management Program was launched in November 2002 to help local residents effectively manage the disease and has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association for its excellence.
“Achieving certification takes a major commitment, and we’re delighted that both Deanna and Susan have done so,” said Woodrow Hathaway, CEO of Chatham Hospital. “The national certification process gives us a standard for measuring the quality of diabetes education services we provide and assures our patients that they are working with staff members that can deliver the level of care they deserve.”
The Chatham Diabetes Self-Management Program covers a wide range of topics, from nutrition and meal planning to the prevention, detection and treatment of complications. The next session for English-language patients will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for four consecutive Tuesdays beginning on January 31. Spanish-language classes will be offered from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for eight consecutive Thursdays beginning February 16.
For more information on the Chatham Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Program, consult your physician or call 919-663-9156.
About Edmisten and Watson
A resident of Coleridge in Randolph County, Deanna Edmisten is a registered nurse who has worked at Chatham Hospital since May 1993. She began her career in the hospital Critical Care Unit where she served for 10 years – moving into her current responsibilities in infection control, employee health and diabetes education three years ago.
Susan Watson resides in Siler City where she has been director of the Chatham Hospital pharmacy for 13 years. She began to support local diabetes initiatives in 1998 when she complemented her registered pharmacy degree with a state-level certification in disease management. She continues in her hospital pharmacy role while supporting the Chatham Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Program.
About NCBDE
NCBDE was established in 1986 to develop and administer a certification program for health care professionals who teach individuals with diabetes how to manage their disease. NCBDE is dedicated to promoting excellence in the field of diabetes education through the development, maintenance and protection of the CDE credential and the certification process. NCBDE supports the concept of voluntary, periodic certification for all diabetes educators who meet credential and experience eligibility requirements. For more information, visit the web site at www.ncbde.org or call the national office at 847-228-9795.
