Diabetes Outpatient Education Resources
The Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program at Phelps Health offers the following helpful resources:
- A plan designed to help meet your needs for any type of diabetes, including prediabetes, types 1 and 2 diabetes, LADA, gestational diabetes, and diabetes in pregnancy
- Group or one-on-one class settings
- Up-to-date diabetes information
- Discussion of individualized meal planning, carbohydrate counting, reading nutrition labels and finding ways to include foods you enjoy
- Instructions on how to use your glucose meter and what to do when your blood sugar is not normal
- Introduction to and assistance with diabetes technology, including continuous glucose monitoring and Omnipod AID
- Survival skills for the newly diagnosed
- Diabetes screenings
- How to prevent the short- and long-term complications of diabetes
- Medication information
- Information on insulin and glucagon
- Follow-up visits and phone calls
- Medical Nutritional Therapy
How a Referral Works
Services provided through the Phelps Health DSMES program require a referral. You can request one from your primary care provider or call the DSMES office for assistance. Once a referral is received by the DSMES, you can expect:
- An individualized plan, tailored to your diabetes needs and lifestyle goals
- A collaborative learning process that includes your care team to help you achieve your individual goals
- An open, supportive setting, where questions and conversations are encouraged
- A highly skilled healthcare team who will support you every step of the way
On your first visit, be sure to bring:
- Your current medication list
- A current list of your blood sugar readings, if available
- Your glucose meter and supplies
If you have diabetes, help is available. The Phelps Health DSMES has the tools and educational resources you need to manage your diabetes and enjoy life. For more information about services offered, please contact the Phelps Health Diabetes Education Department at (573) 458-7314 or or email diabeteseducation@phelpshealth.org.
The American Diabetes Association recognizes the Phelps Health DSMES as meeting the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education.
Facts About Diabetes
- About 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
- Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce insulin (type 1) or does not properly use insulin (type 2).
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
- More than 40.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, with over 763,000 of those living in Missouri.
- Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Symptoms of Diabetes
- Blurry vision
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Frequent urination
- Increased fatigue
- Infections and slow healing of cuts and sores
- Irritability
- Unexplained weight loss
Risk Factors for Diabetes
- Age 45 or older
- Blood sugar levels outside of the normal range
- Blurry vision
- Delivery of a baby weighing more than nine pounds
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Family history of diabetes
- Frequent urination
- High total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol
- History of heart attack, stroke or chest pain
- Increased fatigue
- Infections and slow healing of cuts and sores
- Irritability
- Lack of physical activity
- Overweight
- Unexplained weight loss
- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)