Samaritan Albany General Hospital - Diabetes Education ...

Samaritan Albany General Hospital - Diabetes Education Services

Samaritan Albany General Hospital

Diabetes Education Services

Diabetes is becoming a national epidemic, and Samaritan Health Services is committed to both identifying diabetes in the communities we serve and to extending care to those who have the disease. Our nationally recognized diabetes education programs provide several opportunities for learning about diabetes and diabetes management, and can help you obtain the resources and support you need.
Diabetes self management

The program covers:

• what diabetes is and how it affects your body;

• good nutrition habits and how to plan meals and snacks;

• how to monitor your blood glucose;

• how to know when you need to change your medication or blood glucose monitoring schedule;

• how physical activity keeps you healthy;

• signals that might mean you need a change in your treatment plan;

• how stress affects your diabetes and what you can do about it;

• how you and your family can cope with diabetes in your lives.
Group classes

These classes, held regularly, are small, informal and allow for plenty of interaction between participants and health care professionals who specialize in the care of diabetes. A support person may attend at no additional charge. Group classes are available at: Samaritan Albany General, Samaritan Lebanon Community, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Samaritan Pacific Communities and Samaritan North Lincoln hospitals.
Individual classes

These appointments are designed for those with special needs for which group classes may not be appropriate. Individual classes are available at each hospital.
Cost and registration

All or most of the costs associated with our classes are covered by most insurance plans. Please check with your health plan office for questions about coverage. A referral from your health care provider is necessary for insurance reimbursement. If you need assistance with obtaining a referral, please call Diabetes Education at your local Samaritan hospital.
Other services
Support groups

All of our programs offer monthly support group meetings designed to discuss pertinent topics and share concerns regarding living with diabetes.
Insulin pump program

This program provides a mechanism for training and educating people with diabetes in the necessary knowledge and skills to safely wear an insulin pump.
Diabetes Prevention: A guide to better health

This class is intended for anyone who has been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome, and is designed to help you make important lifestyle changes in diet and exercise to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. Emphasis will be on starting an exercise program, eating healthy for life and goal setting. According to the American Diabetes Association, if you have pre-diabetes, early action can help return elevated blood glucose levels back to normal, or help keep you from progressing into diabetes. (No physician referral is necessary for this course).
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensor

The Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensor (CGMS) is a Holter-style sensor system that automatically records glucose levels every five minutes. How? A small sensor is placed just under the skin and is connected with a cable to a pager-sized monitor. The sensor and monitor are worn for 24 to 72 hours. When the sensor is removed, the information is downloaded onto a computer in our offices for review. A clinical report will be sent to your physician, allowing him or her to identify patterns of glucose excursions above or below the desired range. This information will help make decisions regarding adjustments to your diabetes therapy to minimize glucose swings, and readings outside of your target range.

For more information, please contact your physician or your local diabetes educator.
Where to go for help

For specific information about classes and support groups, contact the Samaritan facility in your community visit the Health Info & Classes section of this website or call:

• Samaritan Albany General Hospital, (541) 812-4839

• Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, (541) 451-6313

• Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, (541) 768-6973, or (888) 872-0760 ext. 6973

• Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, (541) 574-4682

• Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, (541) 574-4682
Nationally recognized education programs

Our diabetes self-management programs are recognized by the American Diabetes Association for meeting the rigorous standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs.

Contact us
Albany General Hospital
1046 Sixth Avenue SW
Albany, Oregon 97321
(541) 812-4839

© Copyright 1999-2007 Samaritan Health Services