Diabetes is one of the more prevalent but treatable diseases, and its incidence in the general adult population has been rising steadily in the Unites States. The American Diabetes Association draws attention to this emerging health crisis each year in November, which is American Diabetes Month.
At present, in the five-county region served by University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, nine percent of the adult population has the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes – slightly higher than the national average of 8.3 percent. The American Diabetes Association projects that in addition to the 26 million Americans now diagnosed with some form of diabetes, an additional 79 million are now at risk for type 2 “adult onset” diabetes.
The University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at UM Shore Regional Health is the only diabetes specialty clinic on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Center’s mission is to provide the highest level of comprehensive diabetes care through prevention, treatment, education and research. The Center’s medical director, Kenneth Patrick Ligaray, MD, is an endocrinologist who is board certified in endocrinology including diabetes. Dr. Ligaray is joined by Faustino Macuha Jr., MD, and a team of nurses, nurse educators, a dietitian and other staff.
According to Trish Rosenberry, BSN, RN, manager of outpatient services for UM Shore Regional Health, up to 4,000 patients each year have received treatment for diabetes and endocrine problems through the Center. The Center’s services include diagnosis and comprehensive care for persons with diabetes or prediabetes; and ongoing self-management education and support for people with diabetes.
More than 150 patients, many of them newly diagnosed, completed the Center’s Diabetes Education Program last year. Recognized by the American Diabetes Association for quality diabetes self-management education, this 10-hour program is taught by registered nurses and dietitians who specialize in diabetes education and who act as a team supporting each patient.
“Participants learn to manage their diabetes so that they can enjoy their highest quality of life and avoid complications that might affect their independence or mobility, or even cause them to be hospitalized,” says Rosenberry. “The class also serves as a kind of built-in support group of nurses and other patients who are working toward the same goals.”
The next session of the class begins during the first week of December, 2013.
The Center’s diabetes educators — Doris Allen, RN, CDE, Karen Canter, BSN, RN, Karen Hollis, RDN, CDE, and Renee Woodward, RN — attend health fairs and senior events in Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. By request, they also speak at meetings of community groups throughout the five-county region.
Center physicians also engage in community outreach. On November 12, Dr. Macuha and Dr. Ligaray visited Hearthstone Fitness Center in Easton to tour the facility and talk with staff and members, and with staff assistance, hosted an open house on November 15 and a dinner meeting for area primary care physicians on November 21.
For more information about the UM Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology and its services, call 410-822-1000, ext. 5757.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.