Santa Ana, CA (October 2009) - The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare. ADA believes that this program offers high-quality education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.
The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. These standards were developed and tested under the auspices of the National Diabetes Advisory Board in 1983 and were revised by the diabetes community in 1994 and 2000.
Programs apply for Recognition voluntarily. Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals that can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management. “The ADA’s Recognition of the Diabetes Awareness education program at St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare’s Center for Health Promotion demonstrates our commitment to the community,” comments Margaret Macias, executive director, Center for Health Promotion. “Education is extremely important to those who are diagnosed with diabetes and we are excited that the ADA has recognized our programs.” Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for three years.
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million people or 7% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes. Many will first learn that they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications—heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve disease and amputation. About 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005. Diabetes contributed to 224,092 deaths in 2002. Since 1987 the death rate due to diabetes had increased by 45%, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined.
The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading non-profit health organization supporting diabetes research, advocacy and information for health professionals, patients and the public. Founded in 1940, the Association has an area office in every state and conducts programs in communities nationwide. For more information on recognized education programs in your area or other American Diabetes Association programs, call your local ADA office or contact the ADA online at www.diabetes.org.
About St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare – Central
St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare – Central is a Foundation in central Orange County encompassing St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group (SJHMG) and St. Joseph Hospital Affiliated Physicians (SJHAP), the physician networks of St. Joseph Hospital of Orange.
Now in its 46th year, St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group provides primary care services, with focus areas in Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. SJHMG has four medical offices located in Orange, Tustin and Santa Ana—each providing all-encompassing patient care services including adult and pediatric urgent care.
St. Joseph Hospital Affiliated Physicians is an association of independent physicians in private practice throughout Orange County providing a full array of primary and specialty care services. Ranked in the 90th percentile for overall patient satisfaction for specialty care by the California Consumer Assessment Survey, SJHAP offers a network of more than 150 primary care physicians (PCPs) and over 300 specialists.
SJHMG and SJHAP are affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital of Orange and CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County, two of the county’s preeminent hospitals.