Sixteen years ago, the diabetes program at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center became the first one in Nevada to be recognized for its outpatient diabetes education program by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Recently, the inpatient diabetes program became the first in the nation to earn a "Certificate of Distinction for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care" from The Joint Commission, the national organization that accredits healthcare organizations across the United States.

Committed to Helping Patients
"Our diabetes program is already well respected throughout the state," says Sam Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Desert Springs Hospital. "This new national designation is a tremendous honor for the hospital. It shows that we're a leader in our commitment to providing quality diabetes care in Las Vegas and Nevada and that we're one of the top centers in the country."

"We work very hard to provide comprehensive diabetes care," says Joyce Malaskovitz, PhD, RN, CDE, Director of the Diabetes Treatment Center. "Certification from The Joint Commission further demonstrates our commitment to diabetes patients in our community."

The Diabetes Resource Team was instrumental in helping the hospital prepare for the recent survey. This team is composed of representatives from all departments involved in caring for diabetes patients -- from admitting to inpatient units. Team members meet once a month to develop new and more effective ways of treating patients.

Leaders in Diabetes Care
To receive this new certification, diabetes programs must meet rigorous standards established by The Joint Commission and the ADA. These standards include requiring diabetes programs to identify a program champion or champion team and to use established protocols to monitor blood glucose levels, treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, collect data and more. Hospitals also must have an established and effective patient education program.

According to The Joint Commission, which began offering voluntary, disease-specific evaluation and certification programs several years ago, the new certification for inpatient diabetes care "recognizes hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes across all inpatient settings."

"The Joint Commission sets very high standards for diabetes care," says Kaufman. "Our new Certificate of Distinction for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care means that diabetes patients can be confident about our program and about staying in our hospital, even when they're hospitalized for other medical conditions."

For a free brochure about the Diabetes Treatment Center, please call 369-7920.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106