Stewart Memorial

Do you have diabetes and wish you felt better and had better control?

The Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Community Diabetes Program started in 1998 with a mission to prepare people with diabetes to make informed choices every day about their diabetes care. We work with people and their primary care providers to develop successful plans for coping with diabetes and its challenges. The program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association for Quality Self-Management Education, and is certified by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Individual or group sessions are scheduled as needed. The Diabetes BASICS, Insulin BASICS, and Gestational Diabetes BASICS programs consist of 3 to 5 sessions over 2-5 months. Referral from your health care provider is required.  Our registered nurse educator, Marcia Schaefer, and registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator, Maurine Thieszen, work with individuals and their care partners to facilitate learning to manage diabetes and takes steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Sessions are informal and allow hands-on learning. In 2008, participants in the SMCH Diabetes self-management program saw an average reduction in their A1c of 2.2 points!

Diabetes education follow-up sessions are offered for individuals who have completed the basic diabetes self-management program. Individual diabetes medical nutrition therapy is also available.

We look forward to working with you to help you take control of your diabetes and improve your health. Our goal is for people with diabetes to start a lifelong journey toward learning about and practicing healthy diabetes self-care.

The SMCH Diabetes Support Group is open to all interested people, and meets April through October on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the hospital. Please call our diabetes educators at 712-464-4249, or 712-464-4205 for more information.