Patient Care Programs

Overview
The Education Institute provides support and information on diabetes and related disorders to patients and the general public, training for medical students, fellows, faculty, and professionals, and develops educational tools for clinical use.

Patient Education
Accredited by the American Diabetes Association, the Education Institute offers patients a variety of educational opportunities to help them understand and manage their diabetes. Diabetes self-management continues to be provided by an interdisciplinary team, interacting on a one-on-one basis.

Serving as an adjunct to this personal education are group classes. ADA approved and taught by certified diabetes educations including nurses and dietitians, the group session runs for four weeks. Each session lasts for two hours from 10:00 am until noon. The series includes basic information on nutrition, exercise, medications, blood sugar monitoring, preventing complications, psychological adjustment to diabetes and how to modify behavior.

The Education Institute sponsors an insulin support group for patients of all ages with diabetes who are on insulin pumps and to those who are interested in learning about pumps. Family members, spouse and significant others are welcome.

If you are currently on an insulin pump, or considering insulin pump therapy and would like to attend our monthly support group and receive information on upcoming speakers and programs, please forward your email address to:

nancollette@cox.net

Subject Line: Pump Support Group

Family members and support persons are welcome. If you do not have email, you are welcome to come to the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes at 855 W. Brambleton Avenue on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 pm to chat, learn and meet nice people!

Professional Education
The Education Institute provides a comprehensive program for professional development.

At weekly lunch seminars in the Cosmopolitan Education Center, the Education Institute brings together professionals from throughout the medical school and the community to learn from nationally renowned researchers, clinicians and educators. In conjunction with these visiting experts, one-on-one sessions with local faculty and interactive roundtable sessions with researchers encourage the exchange of ideas and forge bonds for future collaborations.

Within the Education Institute, the physicians, scientists and health professionals also provide training to medical students, residents and fellows. Corporate training is provided to the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical staff provides formal lecuture at area hospital grand rounds, conferences and informal roundtable discussions.

The Education Institute coordinates the training of foreign fellows who spend an extended period at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes learning research techniques and clinical skills to benefit professionals and patients in their country of origin.

Community Education
Periodically, the Education Institute hosts a public lecture at the Virginia Beach Public Library which provides a platform for public awareness about diabetes and its complications as well as related medical disorders. The programs endorse a healthy lifestyle, teach about new therapies and research breakthroughs and introduce the latest diabetes products. Sheri Colberg, Ph.D., will present "Living Well and Being Fit with Diabetes, No Matter Your Weight" on November 15th at 7 pm.

For an article on the Education Institute's last presentation on Tai Chi and Diabetes, click here.

Community education outreach is also extended through the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes’ participation at regional health fairs and diabetes screenings.