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(Honesdale, February 12, 2008)…A nationally recognized expert on managing diabetes will speak at Wayne Memorial Hospital on February 21st at 7:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. Ann Albright, PhD, RD, is the Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the federal government’s primary public health agency. Dr. Albright leads a team of more than 100 who strive to eliminate the preventable burden of diabetes through leadership, research programs, and policies that translate science into practice.

      Her presentation at Wayne Memorial Hospital, “Diabetes—a BIG Public Health Problem,” is not an exaggeration. Diabetes affects close to 21 million Americans, or about 7% of the population, according to the American Diabetes Association. In Pennsylvania, the numbers are considerably higher: about 8.6% of the population has diabetes, according to the most recent statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

       “We asked Dr. Albright to come speak and address this problem for our staff at Wayne Memorial Health System and our partners in the State Health Improvement Plan Partnership or SHIP,” said Carol Kneier RD, LDN, CDE, and coordinator of the Diabetes Care Management Project at Wayne Memorial. “We anticipate that she will not only share her knowledge of the latest prevention and treatment modules, but just having her here will raise the level of awareness about diabetes in our community—and, hopefully, further motivate us towards helping those affected. It’s a really debilitating illness if left un-managed.”

      Dr. Albright is well known for her diabetes work, including the implementation of evidence-based diabetes care guidelines, work on models of care in community clinics, and development of public awareness campaigns to increase the understanding of diabetes and importance of blood glucose control.