Diabetes Education
Johnston Diabetes Center
Learn to live a healthier tomorrow.
If you have diabetes, you are not alone.
More than 600,000 adults in North Carolina, including 10,000 in Johnston County, have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the North Carolina Division of Public Health Diabetes Prevention and Control.
We're nationally recognized
Diabetes education at Johnston Health is recognized by the American Diabetes Association and meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education. In 2008, we received an Abbot Diabetes Care Provider of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding care and commitment to those living with diabetes.
We can help you manage your diabetes while teaching you to live a healthier lifestyle.
Ask your doctor
Ask your doctor for a referral to our diabetes education program. You may then make an appointment to see a diabetes educator by calling Community Wide Scheduling at 919-938-7749. Please bring your insurance cards to appointments. Johnston Health will bill you after your insurance has been filed. Financial counselors are available to assist you with payment options.
Who can participate?
Anyone diagnosed with Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes may participate. Services include:
- Individual assessment with a certified diabetes educator
- Group classes, monthly support groups
- We cater to special needs patients
- We educate in both inpatient and outpatient settings
Diabetes overview
When you enroll with us, we'll begin with an assessment of your individual needs. We'll review:
- Types and causes of diabetes
- Reducing stress while coping with diabetes
- Chronic complications from uncontrolled diabetes, gestational diabetes, juvenile diabetes
- Basics of control, meal planning, exercise, medication and standards of care
- Acute and long term complications, psychosocial complications, prevention strategies
Goal setting
Next, we work with you to set goals and develop a custom care plan that includes:
- Introduction to behavior change
- Benefits of exercise and how to exercise safely
- Guidelines for managing sick days
- Foot care including self examination (in class)
- ADA standards of care and the meaning of an A1c
Your medication
Our certified educators discuss the action and impact of your medication. You'll receive instruction on correct methods to self manage:
- Blood glucose targets, testing schedule, record keeping
- Self blood-glucose-monitoring instruction and maintenance, insulin pump training
Nutritional health
Our dieticians offer nutritional management counseling, which includes healthy eating guidelines for protein, fat, cholesterol and sodium. You'll learn about:
- Consistent carbohydrate grams distributed between meals, snacks
- Classification of food groups, how to estimate portion sizes of unlabeled foods
- Effect of carbohydrate on blood glucose levels
- Meal planning, using the exchange system, how to read and interpret food labels
Contact us
To speak with a diabetes educator, call the Johnston Health Education Department at 919-938-7736. The office is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located in the Johnston Health Medical Mall in Smithfield.
Our diabetes educators are not allowed to dispense, prescribe or renew any medications. If you have an emergency, call your primary care physician or go directly to the nearest emergency department.