June 30, 2012
Looking for diabetes education?
A list of diabetes self-management services in W.Va.
Page 2 of 2
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Four West Virginia drug stores are certified through the American Association of Diabetes Educators to provide diabetes education reimburseable by Medicare and some private insurance:

  • Parkersburg, Rite-Aid, Dudley Street, 304-422-4657. Certified diabetes educator, individual education and counseling. Diabetes support group.
  • Beckley, Colony Drug, Robert C. Byrd Drive, 304-252-5305 ext. 16. Certified diabetes educator, individual counseling, meter and monitor training, has applied for certification for group classes. Email Avau...@suddenlinkmail.com
  • Grafton, Rite-Aid, North Pike Street, 304-265-0758. Four diabetes specialists, one-on-one education and counseling, monthly to weekly visits, depending on need.
  • Petersburg, Judy's Drug Store, 304-257-1044 ext. 3. Pharmacist, dietician, certified diabetes educator, dietician. Insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose monitoring, medical nutrition therapy. Classes offered continuously: initial one-on-one consult, followed by three days of class, then two follow-ups.
  • Summersville, Nicholas Pharmacy, 304-872-2777. Diabetic counseling, medication management and lifestyle adjustment counseling. Set goals, then meet periodically. Certified diabetes educator-in-training. Face to Face and general public.
  • Two more state Rite-Aids have applied for certification: on MacCorkle Avenue Southeast in Charleston (Kanawha City) and on Fairmont Road in Westover.
  • Nicholas County, Summersville: Nicholas Pharmacy (304) 872-2777. Diabetic counseling, medication management and lifestyle adjustment counseling. Multi-session. Set goals, then meet periodically. Pharmacist, certified diabetes educator-in-training. Face to Face and general public.
  • Health departments

    Only four county health departments offer diabetic services beyond finger sticks and basic information. State law does not require -- or pay -- health departments to offer more complete services. Here are the ones that do:

  • Mid-Ohio Valley. This six-county department offers full-scale classes and individual counseling at health department offices, local businesses, schools, churches and other sites. Includes Wood, Pleasants, Roane, Wirt, Calhoun and Ritchie counties, 304-485-7374.
  • Lincoln. Individual counseling at the Hamlin office and a parish nurse program in numerous county churches,  304-824-3330.
  • Randolph. Individual group counseling in partnership with Davis Memorial Hospital, 304-636-0396.
  • Boone. A monthly diabetes support group meets in Danville, 304-369-7967.
  • Support groups

    In support groups, people trade information, advice and encouragement. Medical professionals may attend, but the sessions are not detailed education classes. Below are contacts and meeting times as available for support groups around the state:

  • Boone: Boone County Health Department, 304-369-7967, liz.g.law...@wv.gov.
  • Cabell: Valley Health Systems, 304-525-3334 ext. 1.
  • Cabell: Huntington, Marshall University 304-691-1662. Second Monday of the month, 6 p.m. na...@marshall.edu.
  • Calhoun: Minnie Hamilton Health Center, 304-354-9244, Second Monday, 5 p.m. bmck...@mhcc.com.
  • Gilmer: Minnie Hamilton Health Center. 304-462-7322. Fourth Monday, 5 p.m. shar...@mhhcc.com.
  • Greenbrier: Greenbrier Valley Medical Center. 304-793-3545. Third Tuesday, 5 p.m. Emilee....@gvmc.com.
  • Harrison/Marion: United Hospital Center. 681-342-1000, Mary Frances Veltri.
  • Jefferson: War Memorial Hospital. 304-258-6577. First Thursday, 6:30 p.m.  pcoo...@valleyhealthlink.com. No July or December meetings.
  • Mercer: Princeton Community Hospital. 304-487-7283, 304-487-7074. Third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. cpet...@pchonline.org.
  • Mineral: Potomac Valley Hospital, 304-597-3500 ext. 3774. First Tuesday, 6 p.m.
  • Monongalia: Monongalia General Hospital, Diabetes Learning Center 304-598-0763.  3rd Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.. mccar...@monhealthsyst.org Call to check time.
  • Monongalia: Ruby Memorial, 304-598-4391, ext. 1. Second Thursday, 6:30 p.m. K...@wvuhealthcare.edu. Call or email for directions.
  • Pocahontas: Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, 304-799-7400 ext. 1032.  Last Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. twag...@pmhwv.org.
  • Randolph: Davis Memorial Hospital, 304-457-4669. Second Tuesday, 6 p.m., mos...@davishealthsystem.org.
  • Wetzel: Wetzel County Hospital. 304-455-8000. Last Tuesday, 6 p.m.
  • Wood: St. Johns United Church, Vienna, 304-422-4657, sponsored by Parkersburg Rite Aid (Dudley Street). First Tuesday, 6 p.m.
  • Wood: Camden Clark Hospital Diabetic Wellness Center, 304-424-2400.
  • More resources

  • Certified diabetes educators. Many work at hospitals, health centers and pharmacies. Some take private clients. The American Association of Diabetes Educators lists 51 in West Virginia. A partial list is at http://www.diabeteseducator.org/DiabetesEducation/Find.html
  • Endocrinologists (diabetes specialists). West Virginia's 48 endocrinologists are concentrated in more urban areas. Forty-one counties have none. The West Virginia Board of Medicine lists them at http://www.wvbom.wv.gov.
  • Face to Face. Diabetics covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency can get ongoing counseling through a participating Face to Face pharmacist in 51 counties, https://www.peiaf2f.com.
  • Dining with Diabetes. Many WVU Extension agents offer cooking classes and nutrition education, http://www.ext.wvu.edu/county_offices.
  • n Chronic Disease Self-Management classes. Volunteers trained by Marshall University staff lead classes at churches, health clinics, fire departments, hospitals and other community sites. There are classes for people with all chronic illnesses, including diabetes, http://www.selfmanagementonline.org/.

    SOURCES: West Virginia Hospital Association, West Virginia Primary Care Association, West Virginia Association of Free Clinics, Marshall University Medical School, Bureau of Public Health, individual hospitals, drug stores, community health centers, public health departments, support groups, and coalitions.

    Reach Kate Long at (304) 348-1798 or katel...@wvgazette.com.

    "The Shape We're In" was written with the help of the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, administered by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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