McKenzie Health System Earns Recognition of the American Diabetes Association®

Photo: Kris Kreiner, BS, RD, Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Quality Coordinator

McKenzie Health System Earns Recognition of the American Diabetes Association®

Education Recognition Program (ERP) certification ensures quality diabetes education and support for people living with diabetes

The American Diabetes Association (ADA), the nation’s leading organization committed to fighting diabetes by driving discovery through research and innovation, intensifying the urgency around the diabetes epidemic and supporting people living with and affected by diabetes, today announced the recognition of McKenzie Health System - Diabetes Self-Management Education Service (DSMES) through the Education Recognition Program (ERP). The DSMES service was originally recognized in October of 2023.

With the recognition by the American Diabetes Association and certification by the state of Michigan, the McKenzie Health System - Diabetes Self-Management Education Service has been established with the first class beginning on November 14, 2023. This program requires a referral from a primary care provider and is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurances. McKenzie staff will take care of all paperwork and check insurance for verification of payment and any co-payments. More information is available on the McKenzie website at www.McKenzieHealth.org/Diabetes or by calling 810-648-0592.

“Diabetes impacts many of our community members and we are excited to launch this service to help them manage this condition,” shares Billi Jo Hennika, Chief Operating Officer at McKenzie Health System. “Through this service, participants will receive much needed support as a team of professionals provides the education, planning, and tools diabetics need to gain control of their health.”

Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Quality Coordinator Kris Kreiner, BS, RD is leading the program supported by staff members from pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy, and social work. Kris comes to McKenzie with a wealth of knowledge with 10 years of experience in establishing and running a Diabetes Self-Management Education Service. Class topics include healthy eating, being active, taking medications, monitoring glucose, chronic complications, lifestyle and healthy coping, distress and support, and goal setting.

The service offers 10 hours of education, one hour of individual and nine hours of group classes, plus 3 hours of Medical Nutrition Therapy with our Registered Dietitian. Individuals’ education and support continues annually after completion of the 10 hours of this service.

“The program Is designed to provide the skills and tools needed to aid in the day –to-day management of diabetes and support healthy lifestyle changes,” shares Kreiner. “As a result, people will be better equipped to face daily challenges of living with diabetes.”

The ADA’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational services meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). The DSMES 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, 2000, 2007, 2012 and 2017. The ERP promotes quality DSMES for people with diabetes by certifying that services adhere to the National Standards for DSMES. Services certified by the ADA’s ERP program offer a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management. Services apply for recognition voluntarily, and ADA-ERP recognition lasts for four years.

“Daily self-management skills are absolutely 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, the ADA’s senior vice president of professional services. “We applaud the McKenzie Health System - Diabetes Self-Management Education Service 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 the ADA’s ERP recognition.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2017 National Diabetes Statistic Report there are 30.3 million people or 9.4% of the population in the United States who have diabetes. While an estimated 23.1 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately 7.2 million people are not aware that they have this disease. Each day, more than 4,110 Americans 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, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease, and amputation. Diabetes continues to be the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.—in 2015, it contributed to 252,806 deaths. The ADA’s Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017 confirms diabetes as the nation’s most expensive chronic health care condition at $327 billion.

For more information on the ADA’s ERP and other ERP-certified services, click here.

# # #

About McKenzie Health System

McKenzie Health System (MHS) is a not-for-profit medical and surgical hospital in Sandusky, Mich., with nine clinics in the surrounding region. Their team of health care professionals is dedicated to providing excellent, compassionate care and services to patients throughout the community. As part of their commitment to superior patient care, clinicians and staff work together to exceed expectations in quality of care, patient safety and patient satisfaction. For more information about MHS and the many services it provides, please visit their website at www.mckenziehealth.org or call 810-648-3770.

About the American Diabetes Association

Nearly half of American adults have diabetes or prediabetes; more than 30 million adults and children have diabetes; and every 21 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The ADA drives discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with

diabetes. In addition, the ADA supports people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes, and the health care professionals who serve them through information and programs that can improve health outcomes and quality of life. For more information, please call the ADA at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).