Diabetes education and care
Diabetes can be complicated and managing it takes practice. At Montage Health, our diabetes care and education specialists are here to support you on your journey to diabetes wellness.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which a person has high blood sugar because their body doesn’t make enough of the hormone insulin or use insulin properly. When blood sugar is too high over time, it can cause serious health problems.
Three main types of diabetes
- Type 1 — The body mistakenly treats insulin-producing cells in your pancreas as invaders, and destroys them. Insulin helps blood glucose (blood sugar) enter your body’s cells so it can be used for energy.
- Type 2 — The most common type of diabetes. Your cells resist insulin and don’t use it properly. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to compensate, but over time it can’t make enough, leading to high blood sugar.
- Gestational — Hormonal changes during pregnancy may prevent the pancreas from producing enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after childbirth, but increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later.
About our program
Our specially trained providers can give compassionate care and education to help you successfully learn to manage all aspects of your diabetes.
Through our diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program, we provide training at every stage:
- When you’re diagnosed with diabetes
- As part of your annual assessment of education, nutrition, or emotional issues
- When new complications arise
- During changes in your healthcare team or treatment
Range of services
One-on-one diabetes education: Individualized sessions with an English- or Spanish-speaking provider, including:
- Diabetes education tailored to your goals and health concerns
- Diabetes technologies: blood sugar monitoring by meter or continuous glucose monitors, and insulin pumps
- Diabetes medication management: Insulin injections, GLP-1 injections, and insulin pumps
Gestational diabetes program: Learn about gestational diabetes and how to manage it, including monitoring your blood sugar and ways to avoid complications.
Diabetes nurse practitioner service: Specially certified nurse practitioners work with you as a patient in Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula or in an outpatient setting. They provide tools and skills to help you medically manage blood sugar levels, with the goal of transitioning your care to your primary care doctor or endocrinologist.
Medical nutrition therapy including:
- Nutrition counseling that focuses on helping you make healthy food choices while still enjoying what you eat
- Prediabetes education
- Weight-loss
- Eating disorders
- Chronic kidney disease
Know your risks, possible symptoms
It’s possible to have diabetes and not know it. In Monterey County, nearly half of all adults population have prediabetes or diabetes. Talk to your primary care provider about your risk, especially if you experience:
- Frequent urination
- Feeling very thirsty
- Feeling very hungry, even though you are eating
- Extreme tiredness
- Blurred vision
- Cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
- Weight loss, even though you are eating more
- Tingling, pain or numbness in the hands or feet
Your provider may recommend lab tests to check your blood sugar levels. Based on the results, you may be referred to a hormone specialist called an endocrinologist. If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, we can help.
Paying for diabetes education and care
Contact your insurance provider to learn what diabetes services are covered by your plan. You may need a referral for your insurance to cover the cost of your care. Let us know if you need help with the referral process or finding a primary care provider.
Some of our educational services are free. If you need help to cover the cost of your diabetes care, you may be eligible for financial assistance.
Partnering for excellence
We are recognized by the American Diabetes Association for quality diabetes self-management support.
