Kerry Mihalko, WCA Hospital certified diabetes educator, recently received certification as a Medtronic product trainer through the Medtronic Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Therapy Expert Program. The program is designed to update health care professionals who have experience with insulin pump therapy on the most current scientific and technical information regarding insulin pump therapy.

“Our patient’s health is important,” said Mihalko, RD, CDE, WCA Hospital certified diabetes educator and recently recognized Medtronic insulin pump trainer. “An insulin pump is a superb tool that assists patients in the management of diabetes However, the pump is a tool and can only provide the greatest benefit to those who learn to use it properly. We help patients become competent in the use of the pump so they can enjoy and receive the benefits of improved glucose control. Using the pump has made managing our patients’ diabetes easier and living with diabetes much more manageable.”

Mihalko explained that the human body has a remarkable ability to maintain tight glucose control when someone is not affected by diabetes.

“The pancreas and the liver work as a team to make sure that the right balance of glucose and insulin is in the body at all times,” she said. “When diabetes develops, the body is unable to maintain this balance. The insulin pump is an ideal tool that can help make the task of balancing glucose and insulin easier as it closely mimics the way a person’s pancreas would deliver insulin. When an individual is affected by diabetes and requires insulin, it is best to take insulin as close to the way the pancreas delivers it as possible. An insulin pump comes closer to delivering insulin the way a pancreas does than other delivery methods. We educate and work closely with the patient to optimize his or her individualized insulin pump settings which in turn improves glucose control and enhances the health outcomes for the patient over his or her lifetime.”

Mihalko is currently completing comprehensive training with additional companies which will allow her the ability to start other companies’ insulin pumps for patients at the WCA Diabetes Center.

The WCA Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Program, located at Jones Memorial Health Center, a division of WCA Hospital at 51 Glasgow Ave., Jamestown, offers individual and group education services from initial consultation to follow-up teaching and guidance. The program helps clients develop a healthy lifestyle by teaching about the impact that food choices, activity and medication have on the body and glucose control. Each plan developed is customized to meet the individual’s needs and help them achieve their health goals. The WCA Hospital Diabetes Education Program has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association since 2000 for providing quality education that meets all national standards for diabetes self-management.

For more information on the WCA Hospital Diabetes Self-Management Program, call 485-7474 or visit wcahospital.org/diabeteseducation. A physician referral is necessary to access the program.