The Leapfrog Group and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) announced today Shore Medical Center received national designation as a Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes. Shore Medical Center is one of just 36 hospitals in the United States and the only hospital in South Jersey to earn this recognition for a strong commitment to the safety and well-being of hospitalized people living with diabetes.
"We are incredibly proud to be recognized as a national leader in caring for people living with diabetes,” said Valerie M. DeJoseph, Administrative Director of Quality, Medical Staff Services & Regulatory at Shore Medical Center. “This designation from The Leapfrog Group and the American Diabetes Association is the result of months of collaboration, dedication, and strategic focus across our entire organization. It reflects our strong commitment to advancing patient safety, improving outcomes, and delivering high-quality, compassionate care."
DeJoseph added, “From implementing standardized hypoglycemia protocols to strengthening discharge planning and surgical preparation for diabetic patients, our team has worked tirelessly to ensure excellence in every aspect of inpatient diabetes care. This recognition affirms that Shore Medical Center is not only meeting—but exceeding—national standards in diabetes management."
The Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes program is in its second year and evaluates hospitals based on their care for patients with diabetes during admission, hospital stay and discharge. The program uses the ADA’s Standards of Care in Diabetes and Leapfrog’s standards for excellence in hospital safety and quality. Diabetes compounds the risk all inpatients already face from medical errors, injuries, and infections that are all too common in hospitals.
“Hospitals caring for people living with diabetes face unique challenges, and institutions like Shore Medical Center are leading the way in prioritizing safety and accountability for this vulnerable population,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Patients living with diabetes deserve high-quality, safe care. We sincerely congratulate Shore Medical Center for their excellence in providing that care.”
Recognized hospitals provide safe, high-quality care for people living with diabetes by implementing blood glucose (blood sugar) testing and hypoglycemia protocols, specialized preparation for inpatient surgery, meals and insulin regimen planning and robust discharge planning for high-risk patients with diabetes, among others.
"We congratulate Shore Medical Center for demonstrating their commitment to patient safety and improving the lives of people living with diabetes. Moving evidence-based standards of care into practice opens doors to improved quality outcomes for people living with diabetes,” said Osagie Ebekozien, MD, MPH, the ADA’s chief quality officer.
To learn more about the Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes program, visit https://www.leapfroggroup.org/recognized-leader-diabetes/about-the-program.
