Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital Earns Recognition from the American Diabetes Association®

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD), a member of Dartmouth Health, has earned an Education Recognition Program certification from the American Diabetes Association. This recognition assures the healthcare professionals at APD offer quality diabetes education and support for people living with diabetes. APD earns this recognition as the United States marks American Diabetes Month, promoting awareness and research into a disease affecting more than 30 million Americans, with one person in the U.S. diagnosed every 21 seconds and nearly half of American adults currently diabetic or pre-diabetic.

“At APD, we have a passionate belief that comprehensive diabetes care should be embedded in primary care, and providing consistent, high-quality diabetes care within a patient’s ‘medical home’ can be a game-changer, both for patients and providers,” said Annika M. Brown, MD, assistant medical director of Family Medicine at APD. “The work of Joanne Hayes, APRN, CDCES and her team revolves around simplifying complex tasks for providers, providing ongoing education about new technology and medications as well as providing direct care to any patient within the clinic with diabetes. The goal is to reduce primary care provider burnout, deliver excellent care, and improve the lives of all of our patients with diabetes.”

In 2022, a grant was awarded to APD to expand an embedded diabetes clinic in Primary Care. The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) certification was the next step in the clinic’s progress, ensuring APD’s educational services meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). Services apply for recognition voluntarily and the recognition lasts four years.

“Daily self-management skills are essential for people to effectively navigate the 24/7 challenges of living with diabetes, helping to keep them healthy and prevent or delay the serious complications of diabetes,” said Linda Cann, MSEd, senior vice president of professional services at the ADA. “We applaud APD for its commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based education and support for people with diabetes by meeting the National Standards for DSMES and earning this recognition.”

Diabetes continues to be the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.: in 2015, it contributed to 252,806 deaths.