The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Shore Health System has begun offering educational classes and support groups at The Memorial Hospital at Easton. The programs expand the educational services that Shore Health System has been offering to the public.
The Shore Health System Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate is part of the University of Maryland Medical System Joslin Affiliate Program and is the only diabetes specialty clinic on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate located at Memorial Hospital offers a multidisciplinary program, which includes the services of endocrinologists and certified diabetes educators.
“Education is our primary focus when working with people who have been diagnosed with diabetes,” says Nancy Barger, RN, CDE, manager of the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Shore Health System. “Even before someone receives a diabetes diagnosis, we are here to discuss pre-diabetic conditions and to offer advice on how to prevent the early symptoms from developing into a more serious medical condition.”
The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate is now offering support groups, classes and other educational activities to patients and their family members.
The Insulin Pump Support Group meets every other month in the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate classroom at Memorial Hospital. The next meeting is Monday, February 9, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is a free resource for adults or parents of children who use insulin pumps.
The Diabetes Support Group meets monthly on Wednesdays. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 18, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Individuals with diabetes and their family members are welcome to attend these free sessions.
Two sessions of diabetes education classes are scheduled to begin in February. The first session begins on Tuesday, February 10 and meets weekly through March 3. A second session begins on Thursday, February 12 and continues through March 5. Classes meet from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate classroom. Topics to be covered in the four-week series include the causes of diabetes; medication and nutritional management; blood glucose monitoring; acute and long term complications of the disease; and the emotional aspects of diabetes. Participants will also learn about community resources that are available for individuals with diabetes and their families. Anyone interested in participating in one of these diabetes education classes must call the center to make an appointment with a physician and certified diabetes educator prior to the start of the session.
Support group meetings and classes will be held at the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Shore Health System at Memorial Hospital, 219 S. Washington Street in Easton. For more information, call 410-822-1000 or 410-228-5511, ext. 5757.