Clinics Recognized For Diabetes Care
By STEVEN J. FERRARI
Two health clinics operated by Community Healthcare Network were recently recognized by a national organization for high-quality and well-managed diabetes care.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a not-for-profit organization that focuses on honoring quality care, recognized the LIC Health Center, 36-11 21st St. in Long Island City, and Queens Health Center, 97-04 Sutphin Blvd., for its diabetes care and treatment. The recognition means that five of the nine clinics operated by Community Healthcare Network have achieved NCQA status for adult onset diabetes.
“This issue of chronic diseases is of paramount importance,” Dr. Peter Tesler, chief medical officer for CHN, said. “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved here. The NCQA sets the bar pretty high.”
Getting NCQA recognition for diabetes care means the clinic has met a certain number of indicators when seeing patients. The NCQA checks on whether doctors draw blood and find that patients are taking care of their condition. They also check to see that doctors are checking for feet and eye issues. Diabetics are prone to retinopathy in the eyes and neuropathy in the feet which, if left unchecked, can lead to severe complications.
When drawing blood, doctors look at the patients’ Hemoglobin A1C level, which measures the blood sugar level over the previous three months.
“When we measure [patients’] A1C, we’re seeing results with numbers coming down,” Tesler said.
Tesler called diabetes care a “team effort” and said it was “critically important” to engage the patient so they take care of the chronic condition.
Dr. Julia Garber, associate medical director at the Queens Health Center, said that the clinic sets up appointments with a podiatrist and an opthamologist to make sure patients are getting the best care available.
“It’s a full-team approach,” she said. “It takes a lot of work, but it seems like everyone is doing their jobs here.”
According to the Dept. of Health, 11 percent of Jamaica residents suffer from diabetes and 8 percent of residents in the Long Island City-Astoria area are afflicted. An important issue the clinic also deals with is obese and overweight patients, which can lead to adult-onset diabetes. The clinic will refer patients to a nutritionist who will teach patients what and how to eat and also advise exercise.
Dr. Karen Isaacs-Charles, a family practice physician at the Queens Health Center, said doctors at the clinic try to engage the patients so they feel comfortable with the process of taking care of themselves. Newly-diagnosed patients are advised to check their feet every day, check blood sugar levels twice a day or more, exercise and watch their diet.
“We really try to work with the patients,” she said.
Reach Managing Editor Steven J. Ferrari at sferrari@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 122.