- With Mayo Clinic diabetes educators
Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
Nancy Klobassa and Peggy Moreland
Nancy Klobassa, R.N., B.S.N, C.D.E
Nancy Klobassa is a registered nurse who has worked in diabetes education for 14 years. She is a certified diabetes educator (C.D.E.) and is currently in graduate school working on a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) and Health Care Education.Nancy works with adults who have type 1, type 2 and other forms of diabetes. Nancy is coordinator of the Diabetes Unit's intensive insulin therapy program within the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Nancy has worked extensively with insulin pump therapy and continuous interstitial glucose sensing.
Peggy Moreland, R.N., M.S.N.
Peggy Moreland is a diabetes educator in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.Peggy graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Care Education from the University of Phoenix and is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association. Peggy enjoys working with patients to set and achieve diabetes self-management goals.
Latest entries
- Grief is a natural reaction to diabetes diagnosis
Feb. 6, 2010
- Psychological insulin resistance stems from fear
Jan. 20, 2010
- Alcohol and diabetes
Jan. 7, 2010
- Diabetes then and now
Dec. 22, 2009
- Put a little Scrooge in your diabetes self-management
Dec. 12, 2009
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Living with diabetes blog
-
July 24, 2009
Blog: Choosing a diabetes doctor
By Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
Dear Bloggers,
This week, I would like to talk about choosing a diabetes doctor and health care team to manage your diabetes. Since diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease it's important to have a qualified provider who keeps current on diabetes care and most importantly has a special interest in taking care of patients with diabetes.
Choosing the right diabetes doctor may be one of the most important decisions you can make for a lifetime of good health. Proper medical care, education, and follow-up will reduce your chances of developing serious complications in the long term.
An endocrinologist has the most training in the care of diabetes, but the supply of endocrinologists is limited, especially in more rural areas, so you may need to find an internal medicine doctor or primary care provider with a special interest in managing patients with diabetes.
Tips for diabetes doctor shopping:
- Check credentials.
- Avoid picking a doctor at random.
- Ask friends, family members, or another provider for a referral.
- Look for a doctor who emphasizes education.
- Look for a diabetes health care team: physician, certified diabetes nurse educator, registered dietitian, eye doctor, foot doctor, and other specialists; such as, kidney, nerve, and mental health providers.
- Check out how many patients the physician sees in a day. A doctor who limits his practice will have time to listen to you.
- Do a trial run (make an appoint just to chat with the doctor about your diabetes management program). If it doesn't seem like the right fit, don't go back.
In a recent "Consumer Reports" survey, people who found their physicians through someone they trusted had the most favorable experiences with doctor shopping.
Agencies to check with:
- American Diabetes Association (ADA) provider list
- American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)
- National Institutes of Health
- Local or state ADA
Remember, it's your choice. You need to be personally satisfied and work with people who are providing the best care for you and your needs. This may become a long term relationship, so find a diabetes doctor you trust and feel comfortable with. If things don't work out to your satisfaction, divorcing your provider is always an option.
Comments?
Have a great week,
Nancy
3 comments posted
December 11, 2009 4:52 p.m.
My first diabetes doctor was thorough but much too busy and didn't answer questions. I found another but she is not as thorough and my cardiologist thinks she is not so good. I asked him for a referral and he said he didn't like any of them. What am I to do? My aic no. is going up over the years - about 7.0 now.
- Judy
July 31, 2009 6:45 a.m.
There are plenty of endocrinologists available in my area. However, I have chosen to continue my diabetes treatment with my internist. I have great confidence in his skills and his knowledge of what is in my best interest. After watching several CMEs on the subject of diabetes treatment, I realized what a wise decision I had made. He had followed every recommendation they made! My A1c is between 6.6 and 6.2. So, we are working well together.
- Judith
July 29, 2009 1:34 a.m.
During the 50 years that I have been a diabetic, I have had only one doctor with whom I could not establish a "working relationship". One does not have to be friends with the physician but there must be trust between patient and physician as well as respect for each other's qualifiations.
- Mary
3 comments posted