Salinas, CA (June 28, 2016) – Natividad Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Center has renewed its status as an accredited, Medicare-certified diabetes education program by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) for the fifth year. Natividad’s Diabetes Education Center provides critical diabetes education services to residents in and around Monterey County. The center serves over 600 unique patients each year and has seen a 32 percent increase in the number of patients over the last year.

“AADE reaccreditation affirms that Natividad’s Diabetes Education Center continues to meet rigorous national standards of quality in our diabetes education program,” said Dana Kent, M.D., medical director of health promotion and education. “We have a comprehensive program taught by some of the best diabetes educators, and we’re honored to continue to provide that service to our community.”

The Diabetes Education Center at Natividad was first accredited in June 2012, making this year its fifth year of AADE accreditation. Diabetes education at Natividad is a collaborative process through which people with or at risk for diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions. The Diabetes Education Center offers outpatient services to children and adults with diabetes Type 1, Type 2, gestational diabetes and pre-diabetes. Outpatient services include individual counseling and education, group counseling and education, community presentations and outreach. Patients completing the program in the last reporting year have seen a 14.4 percent improvement in Hemoglobin A1C, the gold standard for diabetes control.

“AADE’s accreditation assures that an accredited program meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support. Programs which meet these criteria are considered high quality and have been shown to improve the health status of the individuals who embrace the education and help to modify sometimes unhealthy behaviors, or simply provide the education that the person with diabetes has not previously received,” said Leslie E. Kolb, RN, BSN, MBA, accreditation director for the Diabetes Education Accreditation Program. “The Diabetes Education Center is exactly the type of program we envisioned when we set up our accreditation in 2009.”

The Diabetes Education Center, located at 1441 Constitution Boulevard, Salinas (831-755-6292), offers diabetes education classes and individual sessions weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Services are available in English, Spanish and other languages, including indigenous Mexican languages, available through Natividad’s interpretation program.

About the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)
Founded in 1973, the American Association of Diabetes Educators is the leading association for diabetes educators. With more than 14,000 AADE advocates on behalf of diabetes educators and the patients they serve, AADE also works to ensure the professional growth of its members and promote widespread recognition of the benefits of diabetes education. AADE’s mission is to empower healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to deliver exceptional diabetes education, management and support.

About Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 130 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 34,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.