Greetings from the Midwest! My name is Julie Gyondla and I’ve been completing my clinical rotations in my hometown of Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital. I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago, just down the road from the hospital, almost exactly one year before beginning my rotations. I am also due to give birth to my first child in one week, so it’s been an eventful, overwhelming (but very rewarding) year! I feel very fortunate to have worked with such supportive and experienced dietitians at NAH and can’t wait to get back and complete my other rotations.
NAH is a small, 200 bed hospital that has been serving the neighborhood of Humboldt Park for over 100 years. The zip code in which the hospital is located currently has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country and a significant portion of the patients are treated for complications resulting from uncontrolled diabetes, even when this was not the cause of their admission. This trend has prompted the hospital to introduce a number of programs to address this issue. The most recent program implemented is the brand new Outpatient Diabetes Learning Center, which staffs an endocrinologist, an RD/CDE, and an RN/CDE to provide in-depth education and group classes for patients.
Since beginning my rotations, I’ve been lucky to work with the hospital’s two Certified Diabetes Educators and provide the basic nutrition education to people while they are in inpatient care, as well as see them come for follow-up care at the outpatient clinic and shadow some of their sessions. Many of the patients seen at the outpatient clinic are young children, so much of the education is provided to parents as well. With parents receiving education alongside their children, the family as a unit is much more likely to benefit and live healthier lives.
In the past few months, the dietitians have also implemented a screening process so that any patient who has a diagnosis of Uncontrolled Diabetes or Newly Diagnosed Diabetes will automatically be seen for basic nutrition education on diabetes. We also provide this education to patients who are seen by dietitians for assessments due to diabetic wounds. These patients are also provided with a referral form for the outpatient clinic for further follow-ups, should they choose to learn more. The number of patients scheduled weekly at the clinic has increased significantly since I began my rotations, which feels very rewarding as an intern! With the country’s diabetic population continuing to grow, it is more important than ever for us to spread information about healthy, balanced plates to the people in our communities who need it most.
NAH is a small, 200 bed hospital that has been serving the neighborhood of Humboldt Park for over 100 years. The zip code in which the hospital is located currently has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country and a significant portion of the patients are treated for complications resulting from uncontrolled diabetes, even when this was not the cause of their admission. This trend has prompted the hospital to introduce a number of programs to address this issue. The most recent program implemented is the brand new Outpatient Diabetes Learning Center, which staffs an endocrinologist, an RD/CDE, and an RN/CDE to provide in-depth education and group classes for patients.
Since beginning my rotations, I’ve been lucky to work with the hospital’s two Certified Diabetes Educators and provide the basic nutrition education to people while they are in inpatient care, as well as see them come for follow-up care at the outpatient clinic and shadow some of their sessions. Many of the patients seen at the outpatient clinic are young children, so much of the education is provided to parents as well. With parents receiving education alongside their children, the family as a unit is much more likely to benefit and live healthier lives.
In the past few months, the dietitians have also implemented a screening process so that any patient who has a diagnosis of Uncontrolled Diabetes or Newly Diagnosed Diabetes will automatically be seen for basic nutrition education on diabetes. We also provide this education to patients who are seen by dietitians for assessments due to diabetic wounds. These patients are also provided with a referral form for the outpatient clinic for further follow-ups, should they choose to learn more. The number of patients scheduled weekly at the clinic has increased significantly since I began my rotations, which feels very rewarding as an intern! With the country’s diabetic population continuing to grow, it is more important than ever for us to spread information about healthy, balanced plates to the people in our communities who need it most.
