Diabetes educators are the foundation of Piedmont Hospital's Diabetes Resource Center. These healthcare professionals—nurses, dietitians, physical therapists, physicians and exercise specialists—are specially trained to teach and care for people with diabetes.

Most of our interdisciplinary staff are also certified diabetes educators (CDE), which means they have been practicing in the field for at least two years or more, have provided a minimum of 1,000 hours of specialized diabetes education to patients and have passed a rigorous national exam.

Our certified diabetes educators will work with you, your family and the rest of the medical team to help you manage your condition. Along with basic information about exercise and nutrition, your certified diabetes educator can help you with the following issues:

• Balancing your meals (even while dining out), physical activity, medication and blood sugar monitoring routines
• Incorporating such lifestyle factors as unique eating habits and exercise preferences into your management plan
• Preventing, recognizing and treating high blood sugar and low blood sugar, as well as devising a plan for sick days
• Preventing or delaying such dangerous complications as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, sexual problems and foot problems
• Streamlining your healthcare costs by reducing the need for expensive Hospital stays and the treatment of complications
• Developing healthy coping strategies and problem-solving skills
  Improving your confidence in your ability to manage your diabetes