Franklin Hospital Earns National Diabetes Education Award
Franklin Regional Medical Center’s diabetes education program received the 2010 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Provider of the Year Award. Only a handful of programs in North Carolina earned this honor.
Provider of the Year recognizes programs that exceed national standards for diabetes care. Notable initiatives at Franklin Regional Medical Center include partnering with community groups to help underinsured patients and developing a hospital-wide process to help patients manage blood sugar. The program will be honored at an ADA awards reception January 23 in Durham.
“This award demonstrates that our patients receive quality care that helps them achieve the best health possible, along with the compassion and kindness they expect from a community hospital,” said Julie Kephart, registered dietitian and manager of Franklin Regional Medical Center’s clinical nutrition and diabetes education. She is also a certified diabetes educator.
Franklin Regional Medical Center has a history of national ADA recognition. Kephart received the individual Patient Care Award in 2007. Since 2001, the hospital has been an ADA Recognized Education Program which measures individual programs like Franklin Regional against national quality standards for diabetes self-management education.
“We hope to prevent or delay complications from diabetes through education and by promoting a healthy lifestyle in our community,” emphasized Wendy Blackburn, who is director of education at the hospital as well as a registered nurse and a certified diabetes educator.
Certified diabetes educators and registered dietitians teach patients to take control of diabetes. They provide customized individual sessions, group classes and free support groups on topics such as nutrition, exercise and medication. To learn more about Franklin Regional’s program, call 919-497-8445 or visit www.franklinregionalmedicalctr.com.
Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by it. To fulfill this mission, the Association funds research, publishes scientific findings, provides information and other services to people with diabetes, their families, health professionals and the public.
Franklin Regional Medical Center is part of Novant Health, a not-for-profit integrated group of hospitals and physician practices, caring for patients and communities in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina. The Novant Medical Group consists of 1,068 physicians in 344 clinic locations. Other Novant hospitals include the following: Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews and Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville in the Charlotte, NC area; Forsyth Medical Center and Medical Park Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC; Thomasville Medical Center, Thomasville, NC; Brunswick Community Hospital, Supply, NC; Rowan Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, NC; Upstate Carolina Medical Center, Gaffney, SC; and Prince William Hospital, Manassas, VA. Other Novant facilities and programs include nursing homes and assisted, outpatient surgery centers, medical plazas, rehabilitation programs, community health outreach programs and the national MedQuest organization with 103 diagnostic imaging centers in 13 states. Novant Health is ranked 12th nationally among the 2009 Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks, according to an analysis by the SDI health informatics company.