Barton HealthCare System's Diabetes Education Program recently received the prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate.

The ADA recognized Barton's program as "offering high-quality diabetes self-management education that is an essential component of effective diabetes treatment."

Diabetes programs that receive recognition have undergone a rigorous review by experts in the field of diabetes who evaluate each program on its ability to provide patients with a comprehensive individualized education program.

"The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide," said Vicki McKenna, MS, RN, CDE, diabetes program manager at Barton. "It also assures the patient that they will likely receive high-quality service," she said. ADA Education Recognition status is verified by an official certificate from the ADA and is awarded for three years. Programs that achieve Education Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

According the ADA, an estimated 7 percent (20.8 million) of the United States population have diabetes.

While an estimated 14.6 are diagnosed, 6.2 million people are not aware they have this disease.

Many have no symptoms and may not learn they have the disease until they are treated for a life-threatening complication such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve disease or others. Barton's Diabetes Program offers personalized education sessions.

For more information on diabetes or the Barton Diabetes Program call (530) 543-5548 or visit www.bartonhealth.org/ diabetes.