St Vincent's Diabetes Service recognised as a Centre for Excellence

Professor Jerry Greenfield, Head of St Vincent’s Diabetes and Endocrinology and Head of St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, School of Clinical Medicine, has led the St Vincent's Diabetes Service into recognition as a Centre for Excellence for the second consecutive time.

The St Vincent’s Diabetes Service has received a National Association of Diabetes Centres (NADC) Centre of Excellence Award – a testament to the clinical, research, advocacy and leadership work they undertake to improve the lives of people living with diabetes. 
 
NADC accreditation is awarded for a period of four years. It is only awarded following robust assessment and measures against national standards in diabetes care. 

Natalie Wischer OAM, CEO of NADC spoke of St Vincent’s Diabetes Services as "providing exceptional healthcare services" and an “unwavering commitment to excellence in diabetes care". She added that "We are certainly honoured to have St Vincent's Sydney as an esteemed NADC Diabetes Centre of Excellence”.

The Assessors were impressed by the Service’s training programs, outreach programs, nursing orientation, ‘Diabetes Tip of the Week', the diabetes Foot Interest Group, the mentoring program (First Nations), their national contribution, partnerships with LHDs and their Quality Improvement program."

Professor Jerry Greenfield stated, “We are very proud to have received this award, which recognises the excellence in patient care provided by all of the individual members of the Diabetes Service, including our doctors, diabetes educators, dieticians and support staff. We are honoured and delighted to have achieved this status, which has been awarded to only a handful of Diabetes Services around the country”. 

Diabetes Centre

Clinical strengths:

• Evidence of extensive complex care and diabetes complications services, including complex foot clinic and eye screening
• Their outreach programs with Endocrinologist and CDE input is to be commended = Homeless outreach clinic and up-skilling/supporting general practice terms.
• Rapid assessment; complex clinics’ Diabetes foot clinic; Diabetic retinopathy surveillance clinic, Transplant endocrine clinic, Oncology diabetes clinic, Pharmacist consult clinic
• Inpatient diabetes management includes a senior nursing positions (CNC). Also, a dedicated nurse leads on each ward to flag and escalate patient care via timely referral to the Diabetes team as required
• Weekly meetings that are broadly multidisciplinary (includes pharmacy, podiatry)
• Evidence of lots of regular opportunities for up-skilling of clinical staff hospital-wide e.g. to recognise the deteriorating/acutely unwell person with diabetes i.e. hypoglycaemia/ DKA

Research:

• Evidence of investigator led research with a strong interdisciplinary focus and Consumer input
• Publications, presentation and evidence of research translation

External services and collaborations:

• Evidence of solid attempts to bridge the often well recognised divide between tertiary (specialist centre) services and Primary Care. In particular their pathways for high risk foot service