The Diabetes Self-Management Education Program at MtAscutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has received official accreditation from the American Association of Diabetes Education (AADE). This certification is awarded to programs and organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to the field of diabetes education by offering quality programming to support diabetes patients in self-managing the disease. Accreditation ensures that each program meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support.
Virginia Quinn, RD, CDE and Nancy McCullough, RN, CDE
The Diabetes and Nutrition Education Program at MAHHC is led by Nancy McCullough, RN, CDE, supported by Dietitian Virginia Quinn, RD, CDE. McCullough developed the first diabetes education program in Vermont recognized by the American Diabetes Association. Quinn has extensive experience as a nutrition consultant with a focus on diabetes and weight management. Together they offer over 50 years of combined experience in the field of diabetes and nutrition counseling.
McCullough said she is proud of the AADE recognition and spoke about the importance of maintaining the program. “This programming is invaluable,” said McCullough, “When diabetes patients learn about their disease and gain effective strategies for managing it themselves, it puts them in the driver’s seat and empowers them to take charge of their own health care. It serves our overall goal of improving the health outcomes of those we serve.”
Leslie Kolb MBA, BSN, RN, Director of Accreditation at AADE, underscores the significance of accredited programs to people with diabetes, “Diabetes education is underutilized by the people who need it most. The Diabetes Education Accreditation Program (DEAP) certifies that a program meets the national standards and assures the participants are receiving quality educational programming that supports their self-management needs.
Source: WINDSOR, VT–Mt Ascutney.Founded in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is a not-for-profit community hospital network including the critical access-designated Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor, Vermont, and Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock, Vermont. Affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Hospital provides people in communities across the Connecticut River Valley with primary care and a comprehensive suite of specialty services, along with 25 inpatient beds, atherapeutic pool and an acclaimed, 10-bed inpatient rehabilitation department.Mt. Ascutney Hospital is a recipient of the national Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most prestigious awards in healthcare, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), as well as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) with Level 3 status, the highest level of medical home designation for delivering quality care.For more information about MAHHC’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program, call802-674-7198.