News & Announcements

BAYONNE MEDICAL CENTER DOCTOR NAMED FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

For Immediate Release
Contact: Bill Carlos
(201) 858-7670
wcarlos@bayonnedmedicalcenter.org

BAYONNE MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION RECOGNITION FOR DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Bayonne, NJ - October 1, 2008 - The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has awarded its prestigious Education Recognition Certificate for quality diabetes self-management education program to the Bayonne Medical Center.

"The ADA believes that the Bayonne Medical Center's program has met the criteria for high-quality self-management education which is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment," said Gretchen Youssef, Chairperson of the ADA's Committee on Recognition.

"We are proud of this recognition and prouder still of the help that we provide to our patients to the overall health of the community," said Daniel Kane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bayonne Medical Center.

The medical center's Diabetes Self-Management Education Program is coordinated by Maureen Williams, R.N., C.D.E. Williams, a Bayonne resident, has worked at the medical center for the past eight years. The program was begun in 1986 by Patricia Levan, MS, R.N., C.D.E., also of Bayonne.

The Association's Education Recognition Certificate assures that diabetes education programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education. These Standards were developed and tested under the auspices of the National Diabetes Advisory Board in 1983 and were most recently revised by stakeholders in the diabetes community 2007.

Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes self management. "The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide," said Kane. "And of course, it assures the consumer that he or she will likely receive high-quality service." Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from ADA and awarded for a three year period.

According to the ADA, there are 20.8 million people, or 7% of the population of the United States, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million 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 the disease when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease or amputation.

About 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005. Since 1987 the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45%, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke and cancer have declined.

The ADA 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.



The American Diabetes Association presents its Education Recognition Certificate for quality diabetes self-management education to the Bayonne Medical Center. Shown above for the occasion are (from left to right): Rita Vinci, a medical center volunteer; Gertrude Aguinaldo, R.D.; Maureen Williams, R.N., C.D.E., who conducts the diabetes education programs at BMC; Sharon Mousselli, American Diabetes Association Manager of Community Initiatives; and Daniel Kane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bayonne Medical Center.