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Meritus Diabetes Education
About Meritus Diabetes Education
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you know how hard it is to make changes to your diet, increase daily activity and control blood sugar levels—and unlike other diseases, diabetes cannot be controlled by medication alone. Diabetes education gives you the power to control the disease and lead a healthy life.
Meritus Diabetes Education is a comprehensive resource for people diagnosed with diabetes, prediabetes or for those who want nutritional assistance.
Diabetes Self Management Training Patient Journey
- Referral made by clinician
- Schedule an initial 1-1 session with Diabetes Educator
- Schedule a medical nutrition therapy appointment with a dietitian.
- Up to 10 hours of individual or group education in the first year. Patients are eligible for 2 hours of follow-up education each year indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer classes to help patients manage their diabetes?
Yes! Meritus Health offers a range of services and programs to support patients with diabetes.
1. Diabetes Self-Management Program: Our program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association as a program of excellence. Certified diabetes educators, including registered nurses and dietitians, provide individual and group sessions to address your concerns and needs related to diabetes care. Whether you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes or have questions about your diabetes plan, our team is here to help. The program covers various topics, including healthy eating, meal planning, carbohydrate counting, physical exercise, avoiding complications, blood sugar monitoring, medication management, stress control, insulin injection training, weight management and diabetes during pregnancy. Medicare and most insurance plans cover the program for patients with diabetes. To register, please have your physician fax a referral form to 301-790-9425. For more information, call 301-790-9187.
2. Living Well with Diabetes: This evidence-based, six-week workshop is designed for individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It is especially beneficial for those who have previously attended diabetes self-management education but need additional assistance in controlling their blood sugar. Participants learn various aspects of daily diabetes self-management, including healthy eating, diabetes medications, physical activity and effective communication with doctors. To register, call Meritus Health at 301-790-8964.
3. Nutrition Counseling: Led by a registered dietitian, our nutrition counseling sessions offer hands-on education to help you learn how to eat healthy foods, plan meals, count carbohydrates for weight loss or blood sugar control and safely achieve successful weight loss. The sessions also address eating concerns related to diabetes and associated conditions such as renal disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity management. To register, please have your physician fax a referral form to 301-790-9425. For more information, call 301-790-9187.
What is the Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) Program?
Diabetes Self-Management Training or DSMT, is an evidence-based standard of care program that incorporates the needs and goals of people with diabetes into a personalized plan that has proven to improve health outcomes.
As part of our DSMT program, our diabetes educators provide education, guidance, and tools for:
- Healthy eating, meal planning, and carbohydrate counting
- Physical exercise for controlling blood glucose
- How to avoid diabetes complications
- Blood sugar monitoring and effects of foods on blood sugar
- Medication management
- Healthy coping and problem-solving
When is Diabetes Education Necessary?
Diabetes education is need when:
- Newly diagnosed
- Limited previous diabetes education
- Current treatment plan is ineffective
- Difficulty reaching health goals at annual healthcare visits
- Desire to learn more about diabetes diagnosis