Diabetes Center

William E. Dudley, MD, FACE, CDE >
Patti L. Duprey, MSN, APRN, CDE >
Barbara Smith, MS, RD, LD, CDE >

Located on the second floor of the white building on Memorial Hospital campus. An elevator is available for your convenience.

At the Diabetes Center, we know that diabetes can mean a change in lifestyle. For many people, understanding diabetes, managing it, and living with it can be overwhelming. Our mission is to help you adjust to living with diabetes and promote wellness through a variety of personalized treatment and educational plans.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that results when the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood is higher than normal because the body does not produce or utilize the insulin properly. Insulin is the hormone that helps the body change the food we eat into energy. Family history and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise play a role in the development of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. This type of diabetes requires daily insulin injections or insulin pump therapy. About 10% of the people diagnosed with diabetes have this type.

Type 2 Diabetes results from a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin, (insulin resistance) combined with relative lack of insulin. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 Diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes is a condition is which pregnant women have elevated blood sugars. This type of diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnancies. Immediately after pregnancy, 5% to 10% of women with gestational diabetes are found to have diabetes, usually Type 2.

Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 57 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 23.6 million with diabetes.

Risk Factors for Diabetes

You are at risk for developing diabetes if you are overweight, lack routine exercise, have a family history of diabetes, gave birth to a baby weighing over 9 pounds, or have Native American Indian, Hispanic or Black American background.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Please see your primary care provider if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Frequent infections
• Unusual thirst
• Blurry vision
• Excessive hunger
• Slow healing skin injuries
• Unusual weight loss
• Numbness and tingling of feet
• Fatigue
• Irritability

Diabetes Education Program

Self Management Education Classes
Our American Diabetes Association recognized self-management program provides you with all the skill needed to manage your diabetes on a daily basis. This 10-hour series is offered in a variety of different formats including weekend and evening classes to suite your by lifestyle .

Topics include the following:

• What is Diabetes?
• Blood Glucose Monitoring
• Oral Medications
• Insulin Therapy
• Acute and Chronic Complications
• Sick Day Care
• Foot Care
• Stress Management
• Family Life
• Sexual Issues
• Living with Diabetes

Nutrition Classes
Understanding the meal plan and how food relates to diabetes is critical to successful self-management. The nutrition class explains the science of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and how they work in your body. We cover topics such as Meal Planning, Weight Loss, Carbohydrates Counting, Reading Food Labels and Low Fat Cooking.

Individual Diabetes Education
Our full-time diabetes educator is available to assist you with your ongoing education needs which may include:

• Blood glucose meter instructions
• Understand your blood glucose values
• Insulin administration
• Insulin pump training
• Gestational diabetes management
• Life-style modification and goal setting