The Inova Diabetes Center and the Northern Virginia Community Safety Net clinics partnered with the International Diabetes Center (IDC) at Park Nicollet to implement IDC’s evidence based education and treatment model, Diabetes Connections. The Inova Diabetes Center is a center of excellence in diabetes care and education providing diabetes education for those with type1, type 2, gestational and pre-diabetes. IDC is partnering with Inova to provide guidance in creating and maintaining processes to improve diabetes care, education and outcomes. Inova leaders reached out to those most in need by choosing the Northern Virginia Community Safety Net clinics, including local free clinics, health departments and non-profit centers, to include in the Diabetes Connections program. This partnership will help meet the Inova Health System’s mission to improve the health of the diverse community we serve, through excellence in patient care, education and research.
The process is a three-phased intervention including organizational assessment, training and follow-up. The Project Design Team and IDC consultants performed chart audits, data analysis, observations and interviews at the Inova Diabetes Center and Inova’s Community Safety Net clinics. The IDC provided recommendations and action items in various areas for Inova’s consideration.
Training sessions for all health professionals from the Inova Diabetes Center and the Northern Virginia Safety Net clinics involved in the Diabetes Connection program were also provided. The IDC team led Staged Diabetes Management and BASICS patient education curriculum training.
It is easy to get caught up in a regular routine and not feel the need for change when things are going well. However, the Inova Diabetes Center strives to be the best and the Diabetes Connections program is helping the healthcare team come closer to this goal to ensure excellence in diabetes care and education across the community. The healthcare team found the recommendations and instructions to be useful and is working on implementing these into their practice.
Please visit the Inova Diabetes Center website at www.inova.org/diabetes for more information on diabetes education services. To learn more about the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet please visit www.parknicollet.com/diabetes.