OSF Diabetes Education Center

The diagnosis of diabetes can be very frightening, and taking care of diabetes and its effects can seem overwhelming.  OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center provides diabetes self-management training services to help people live with this pervasive disease.

Established in 1988, the Diabetes Education Center at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center received Recognition from the American Diabetes Association in 1993 and has maintained recognition since then.

By demonstrating excellence in healthcare quality in its outpatient services, the OSF Diabetes Education Center was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval and achieved Disease-Specific Care Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). OSF Saint Anthony was the second healthcare facility in the state of Illinois to earn disease-specific certification for diabetes, and it earned the Gold Seal recertification in 2007.

The staff of nurses and dietitians are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE's), which indicates proficiency in diabetes education and up-to-date knowledge of diabetes management. 

Have you just been diagnosed with diabetes? Have you had diabetes a while, but don't feel you know much about it?
The OSF Diabetes Education Center teaches patients about diabetes:  what it is, how it is taken care of, and how to handle living with a chronic condition. Information is provided on glucose monitoring and how to use the monitoring results; diabetes medications and insulin; healthy eating and diabetes meal planning; exercise; preventing and treating diabetes complications; problem-solving and coping.

Specialized services include training and insulin pump management.  We also provide continuous glucose monitor sensing for both insulin pump users and those needing tighter control of blood glucose levels.

We provide individual consultations and classes based on a doctor's referral.  Individual consultations and classes are offered at convenient times through the week.

Diabetes Facts
Approximately 20.8 million people, or 7 percent of the population in the United States, have diabetes.  While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk for a number of serious, sometimes life-threatening complications, and certain populations experience an even greater threat.

Good diabetes control can help reduce your risk; however, many people are not even aware that they have diabetes until they develop one of its complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness or nerve disease and amputation. 

Insurance Coverage
Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to ten hours of initial education, and two hours of education per calendar year.  They are also entitled to up to three hours of nutrition education.  Private insurance coverage varies depending on the carrier.

For Information
Call 815-395-5159 and please press 1 to leave a message.