Bon Secours :: Medical Services

Recognized by the American Diabetes Association, the Diabetes Treatment Center provides effective treatment programs.

Diabetes Treatment Center

The Diabetes Treatment Center at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital is a member of American Healthways, the nation's leading and largest provider of specialized disease management and care enhancement services. This gives us access to the most current information and most effective diabetes treatment programs available. Our program has been awarded recognition by the American Diabetes Association in accordance with the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Program.

Working with your physician, our team of Certified Diabetes Educators offers these treatment and education components:

Inpatient/outpatient diabetes education and treatment
Blood glucose monitoring
Diabetes management during pregnancy
Insulin management and instruction
Medication management
Nutrition counseling and proper meal planning

The Diabetes Treatment Center is an excellent resource for people with diabetes at any stage. You can benefit if you:

Just found out that you have diabetes
Have had diabetes for some time and are having difficulty with blood sugar control
Have developed complications related to diabetes
Are interested in the latest technology and treatment
Need help with a specific topic such as proper foot care, diet instruction or exercise
Are in the hospital for any illness or surgery.

If you are over the age of 40, overweight, have blood relatives with diabetes, have given birth to a baby over nine pounds, or have suffered from frequent miscarriages, you may be at risk. Symptoms alone may not suggest the presence of the disease, but if you have more than two of the symptoms based above, testing is strongly recommended. Call your physician or the Diabetes Treatment Center and arrange for a diabetes screening.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestation diabetes is one of the most commonly encountered complications of pregnancy and can cause a variety of risks to both the baby and the expectant mother. Most often, it occurs midway through the pregnancy, when the need for insulin increases. Women develop gestational diabetes when they are unable to produce enough of the additional insulin needed during pregnancy, causing their blood glucose levels to become elevated. In most women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, glucose levels go back to normal when the baby is born.

The Causes of Gestational Diabetes
Many expectant mothers believe gestational diabetes occurs because they've done something wrong, such as eat too many sweets. This is not true. Certain factors increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes:

A family history of diabetes
Obesity
Previous delivery of a baby weighing nine pounds or more
A patient's own birthweight over nine pounds
History of glucose intolerance outside of pregnancy

How We Can Help
Every patient is different. That's why it's important to have your physician and health care team individualize a plan for you. The goal is to normalize your blood sugar, which regulates your baby's blood glucose level. Your physician and health care team will probably recommend that you monitor your blood glucose levels on a regular basis. This will help you find which foods or activities affect your blood glucose control. Nurses from the Diabetes Treatment Center instruct patients on how to monitor blood sugar and ketone levels and answer questions, while our dietitians help patients plan meals to help achieve a constant, even supply of carbohydrates (glucose-producing food) throughout the day. At times, insulin injections may be required to keep the blood sugar in the ideal range. If this is required, we will assist you in learning the proper technique of insulin injection.

For more information on gestational diabetes, or to schedule an appointment, call the Diabetes Treatment Center at 287-7162.

Diabetes Treatment Center
Gestational Diabetes