Definitions/Glossary
Every Diabetic Counts is a program designed to bring together the
community, medical, and public health partnerships and resources that can
improve diabetes outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries. Through diabetes
self-management education, the program seeks to create a greater awareness
among diabetics and their families. Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations
(QIOs) in the following states and jurisdictions are designated to work on this
initiative: District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New York and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is a structured health
education program for people diagnosed with diabetes. The program offers
evidence-based information and standards in health, nutrition, fitness and
medication monitoring. Exposure to a DSME program can provide people with
opportunities to improve their quality of life. 
A Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) is a hospital based health care
professional (nurse or dietician) who is certified to teach people with
diabetes how to manage their disease. This individual must have met eligibility
requirements and successfully completed a certification examination.
A Community Health Worker (CHW) is an individual that uses his or her
natural communication skills to improve the health of people with diabetes at
the community level. They are knowledgeable about the healthcare of the
community they live in, act as a liaison between the community and the health
system and serve as trusted sources providing supervised health education in
the community.
A Medicare beneficiary is a person with Medicare health insurance age 65
or older, or under age 65 with certain disabilities. For purposes of the Every
Diabetic Counts program, the Medicare beneficiary must be diagnosed with
diabetes and enrolled in the Medicare Part B program.
Practice Site is defined as the single place (office or site) where 50%
or more of the full-time physicians provide care. Federally-qualified health
centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) may qualify to participate in
the Every Diabetic Counts program. Primary specialty designations are
self-attested by the physician(s). A participating practice site shall sign a
consent form that meets CMS requirements for these forms.
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