New Orleans East Hospital diabetes center teaches patients how to thrive and stay active after diagnosis – NOLA.com

This article is brought to you by LCMC Health.
LCMC Health’s team approach and focus on education at New Orleans East Hospital is helping individuals with diabetes live active and fulfilling lives while learning how to manage their condition.
The diabetes center at the hospital includes a dietitian, educator, pharmacist and endocrinologist. Together, they evaluate patients’ test results and data and determine the next best steps to help them. Most of the patients are between the ages of 40 and 60 and the majority are African-American, said Deborah Johnson, the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and Coordinator for the diabetes center.
“We’re always communicating about patient assessments because we see things from different perspectives,” Johnson said. “The dietitian is always thinking about nutrition and can let me know the best information to give the patient. With our electronic medical records, I can always talk to the endocrinologist about what stands out about someone’s test results. It really is a full approach that looks at diabetes from all angles.”
The diabetes center also hosts classes to help people learn how to control their condition and maintain their health. The classes review a wide range of topics, including testing blood sugar, the signs of high and low blood sugar, medication management, exercise, and making good food choices.
“At New Orleans East Hospital, we want to provide you with the information you need to take care of yourself,” Johnson said. “We want people to learn the skills they need so they can have a positive attitude and live a fulfilling life.”
Johnson said the classes also emphasize that an individual needs to take charge of their health in order to have positive outcomes. For example, a man who was one of the first attendees in the classes has reduced his A1C to an acceptable level because he took the lessons to heart and has implemented them into his daily routines.
“We are giving people a road map to manage their diabetes. They are the ones who decide what they are going to do and whether they are going to follow those guidelines,” he said. “We do know from research that if a person does not follow these recommendations, they are a much higher risk of having diabetes complications.”
Johnson said the classes have helped diabetes patients clear up misconceptions about their health. For example, people are encouraged to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, which can feel undoable for those with mobility issues. However, there are several chair exercises that patients are taught to help them build strength and flexibility.
Similarly, sometimes people with diabetes believe they must completely eliminate certain foods from their diets, especially carbohydrates and sugars. But, Johnson said that those can be a small part of someone’s diet in moderation, especially when they focus on eating more protein and non-starchy vegetables.
“It’s all about portion control,” Johnson said. “I went to a wedding not long after I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. As I was choosing what to eat, I had very small portions of anything with carbs. That’s how I approach any wedding or event I attend. If there’s a cake, I won’t eat it there. I’ll take some to bring home and eat at another time when I haven’t had as many carbs. It’s all a learning experience. You learn what things you can have, how much and when you can have it.”
The most common type of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin and cannot properly utilize the insulin it does make. Symptoms may include frequent urination, unusual thirst and hunger, severe fatigue, frequent infections, vision problems, slow-healing injuries and tingling sensations in the extremities.
Other types of diabetes are Type 1, which is usually diagnosed in childhood, and gestational diabetes, which only occurs in pregnant women. Some people may also be diagnosed as pre-diabetic, which means their A1C levels are concerning but not at the point to classify them as having diabetes.
“When people get a diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes, a lot of them are in denial. They don’t believe it or they say they won’t claim it,” Johnson said. “I tell them all the time that those complications will come if you don’t claim it, take care of yourself and make the right lifestyle choices.”
The Diabetes Center at New Orleans East Hospital is located a 5620 Read Boulevard on the sixth floor. For more information, call 504-592-6884 or visit www.lcmchealth.org/new-orleans-east-hospital/our-services/diabetes-care/.
Email Amanda McElfresh at amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
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