RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO – The number of people living with diabetes in the United States is at an all-time high with a growing obesity rate that continues to expand the problem. Responding to this epidmeic, SSM St. Mary’s Health Center is piloting standardized protocols to deliver best practices in safety and wellness to patients with diabetes. So far, the program is increasing quality care outcomes at SSM St. Mary’s, which may help expand the program to other SSM Health Centers in the St. Louis network.
SSM St. Mary’s Endocrinology and Diabetes Department is answering how to treat patients with diabetes who are receiving medical care regarding a different, but often related, medical problem.
The problem is that people with diabetes are inherently at greater risk for health-care problems, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation. To further complicate matters, a patient with diabetes needing surgery for one of the aforementioned diseases is also at increased risk for additional complications, including infection or re-acquiring the same medical problem.
At SSM St. Mary’s, the answer is to treat both conditions with equal priority.
More often than not, hospitals treat diabetes as an afterthought or terminating diabetes education programs, said Reza Rofougaran, MD, an Endocrinologist and director of the Diabetes Program at SSM St. Mary’s. Dr. Rofougaran believes treating diabetes must be a foremost priority in hospitalized patients with diabetes.
“We know if (patients with diabetes) have an infection and their blood sugars are high, then their white blood cells will not work to fight it off,” said Dr. Rofougaran. “Wounds are not going to heal when blood sugars are running greater than 180 mg/dl. The immunity will not work.”
In the last couple decades, increasing research shows that improved glycemic control reduces morbidity and mortality rates, patients’ length of stay and patients’ costs.
The Society of Hospital Medicine cites several studies that associate unstable glycemic levels with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients. Further, hospitalization is considered a frequently missed opportunity for diagnosing diabetes as well as educating and identifying risks associated with it.
“Implementing these protocols is a collaborative effort that takes administrative support, an Endocrinologist with the forsight and willingness to spearhead the movement, and a passionate, dedicated diabetes team willing to invest the time and effort to make it happen,” said Renee Schnelker, MSN, APRN, a SSM St. Mary’s Certified Diabetes Educator.
With support from physicians, nurses and leadership, SSM St. Mary’s Endocrinology and Diabetes department successfully piloted and implemented protocols that address diabetes at the onset of treatment. These protocols, which are loaded into the electronic health record system for any physician to view and understand, were established by Dr. Rofougaran and his team of certified diabetes nurse educators.
As a result of the protocols, the Diabetes Program is notified of any patient admitted to SSM St. Mary’s with high – or low – blood sugars. Then, the diabetes team works with the patient’s physician as well as meets one-on-one with the patient to determine risks and develop short- and long-term plans.
Established protocols mean better results for patients. Notably, Dr. Rofougaran’s work, along with his team of diabetes nurses, has dropped blood sugar averages in SSM St. Mary’s Intensive Care Units and throughout the hospital.
Dr. Rofougaran and the diabetes nurse educators are looking to help expand the program to other SSM Health Centers in the St. Louis network.
About SSM St. Mary’s Health Center
SSM St. Mary's Health Center is a two-time winner of the prestigious Premier Award for Quality. Centrally located in metro St. Louis, SSM St. Mary's is a contemporary, 525-bed hospital with distinctive capabilities in high-risk obstetrical services, fetal surgery, state-of-the-art heart surgery, a chest pain center, advanced stroke care, and the latest imaging and outpatient services. Also a teaching hospital, SSM St. Mary’s is the headquarters for St. Louis University School of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and offers an accredited internal medicine program. SSM St. Mary’s more than 2,100 employees and 800 physicians are devoted to achieving the best care and best results for our patients.
For more information, contact:
Stacey L. Rynders
Communications Specialist
SSM St. Mary's Health Center
314-768-8801 (office)
314-306-7866 (cell)
314-908-0688 (pager)
Stacey_L_Rynders@ssmhc.com