91成人导航

Andrea Weiss, a registered dietician in San Joaquin County for the past 14 years, said she feels empowered with additional knowledge to use in her current and future work after completing the Diabetes Essentials for Clinicians certificate program through Benerd College.

In fact, Weiss is the first person to complete the 100-hour, self-paced program through 91成人导航 with scholarship support from the Abbott Fund, the philanthropic foundation of the global healthcare company Abbott.

Program Director Theresa Garnero said there are about 100 students combined in the tracks for clinicians (health care professionals) and non-clinicians (support staff). More information:

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and getting out information about the disease is essential鈥攅specially in Stockton where 60 percent of the residents have either diabetes or pre-diabetes, Garnero said.

Weiss is a registered dietician for in Stockton. She knows the issues that can be caused by diabetes. Her late grandfather had diabetes and her father has battled weight issues most of his life and has pre-diabetes.

鈥淚 am proud to be the first to complete the course, but that might just be because of my Type A personality,鈥� Weiss said. 鈥淭here are many more coming鈥攁bout 50 in all, I think, in the clinician course. We need more people with expertise about diabetes, so this is going to be very positive. This is an excellent program.鈥�

鈥淪o as an educator, it is important to recognize Diabetes Awareness Month and further share resources that we have to help people manage the disease. It really often is a family diagnosis. We need caregivers and their patients to come together with a care team,鈥� Weiss added. 聽

Garnero said the clinicians and non-clinicians programs will create more people with diabetes expertise in Stockton and the surrounding area, but adds, 鈥淚t does not have to stop there. This really has the potential to be a regional or even national program. In addition, we have some outstanding diabetes experts who are teaching in our program.鈥�

The course content is self-paced and most of it is available online or via the course APP. The course worked perfectly for Weiss, who has four children ages 2 to 14.

鈥淭heresa encourages us to do two hours per week consistently, but I probably moved a bit faster,鈥� Weiss said. 鈥淚 would listen to lectures on our family walks or when I was driving to soccer practice. The kids are probably happier than I am that the course is complete. But I have to say everything is designed in a way that you can tailor it to what works best for your schedule.鈥�

Weiss鈥� employer, Community Medical Centers, is pleased with the program and hopes to have more staff members enrolled in the future.

鈥淭hese courses expand the knowledge of caregivers in our community,鈥� said Ginger Manss, chief nursing officer. 鈥淭his is a wonderful opportunity and CMC continues to support such courses in our goal of collaborating with our community to provide life-long learning.鈥�

Garnero and Weiss praise the Abbott Fund for prioritizing a community where diabetes is an epidemic. The Abbott Fund Scholarship is part of Abbott and the Abbott Fund's broader program called , which brings together local organizations to address health disparities in Stockton by removing the barriers that prevent people with diabetes from living healthy.

鈥淭hrough the Abbott Fund, we have several scholarships available for Stockton residents. We also are trying to target people early in their medical careers,鈥� Garnero said. 鈥淚f we can get them early, the impact in the community can be tremendous.鈥�

Added Weiss: 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure we would have had even a fraction of people who were able to enter this course if it wasn鈥檛 something that was sponsored. This can be very impactful in the future.鈥澛�

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Click here for more information about various types of diabetes from the .