Diabetes Management and Medical Nutrition Services in Taos The Health Care Corner Brought to you by Holy Cross Medical Center Diabetes is often discussed in terms of just two clinical types: the autoimmune type 1 and "metabolic" type 2. But, you can gather a room full of individuals living with type 2 diabetes and the ways in which their blood glucose, or blood sugar, becomes elevated can differ widely. For those individuals without diabetes, as blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As cells absorb blood sugar, levels in the bloodstream begin to fall. When this happens, the pancreas produces glucagon, a hormone that signals the liver to start releasing stored sugar. Homeostasis at its best. In contrast, those people living with diabetes, the liver produces more blood glucose than is needed, the number of cells that produce insulin in the pancreas is less and the muscles and other cells' response to insulin is blunted. In addition, other factors such as stress and illness can cause an increase in blood sugar. The strength of Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialists at Holy Cross Medical Center's (HCMC) Diabetes Clinic is to determine each patient's blood sugar make-up. This is done through compassionate assessment of the person's health and family history, laboratory values, eating habits, activity level, and behavioral health. The latter of which often leads an important discussion about stress even common stressors such as family and child care, finances, and/or pressures at work can trigger primal alarm responses in the body that raise blood glucose. Once someone living with diabetes has made the decision to improve their blood glucose management, the HCMC Diabetes Management team provides countless routes of support and intervention to make that happen. Nutrition counseling and strategies to become more physically active are some of the more conventional and universally successful approaches. A fun fact Diabetes & Nutrition Support in Taos. Holy Cross Medical Center HolyCrossMedical Center.org (575) 751-5769 that you might only learn from spending time with one of our educators, is that a person with diabetes can put themselves in a state of non-diabetes solely by the act of exercising, Exercise allows blood sugar to be taken up by muscles and cells more effectively and therefore is utilized instead of circulating in the bloodstream. All patients at the clinic - whether just diagnosed or having lived with diabetes for years - have the support of Kelsey Chmil, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDCES) available to them for these tried-and-true plans of action. Basic nutrition education is widely taught and it can be immensely gratifying to finally understand how different, delicious foods behave in our body once eaten. Sometimes the most important part of a person's nutrition journey is to "unlearn" the restrictive, often detrimental mindset proffered by unlicensed diet gurus on the internet. Kelsey's years of experience make her just the expert to have in your corner Paid Advertisement The Diabetes Management and Medical Nutrition Therapy team. LoriAnn Cortez (Admin. Asst.), Dr. Neal Friedman (Medical Director), Kelsey Chmil (Registered Dietitian, CDCES), Nicole Smirl (Registered Nurse), Angela Torres (Doctor of Pharmacy, CDCES) once you're ready to fall back in love with food and improve your diabetes management. In many cases, even a perfect diet and active lifestyle may yield glucose control that falls below the desired mark; as a chronic disease, it gets worse over time. The good news is that modern diabetes interventions including the latest medications and glucose- monitoring technology can help patients achieve their blood glucose goals. This is where Angela Torres, Doctor of Pharmacy, CDCES and Nicole "Nikki" Smirl, Registered Nurse and CDCES in-training get to share their skills. Angela not only keeps the clinic up-to-date about the latest medications available for diabetes management but also stays abreast of how they can be afforded by patients with various insurance coverage. For example, a new medication, Mounjaro with its numerous modes of action, has proven to improve blood glucose and stimulate weight loss, but its novelty makes it still yet unaffordable to the majority of patients. But worry not: there are countless other effective medications available for which Angela and Nikki can navigate your insurance coverage to avoid breaking the bank. The glucose-monitoring technologies mentioned above have advanced to the point where multiple finger-sticks per day can be avoided by instead employing a continuous-glucose monitor (CGM) - a discreet device that is applied to a patient's body for extended periods to produce real- time feedback about their glucose every few minutes. Insurance coverage for personal versions of these devices can be difficult but not impossible which is why Nikki dedicates time each week to sorting out assistance applications for the patients who qualify. Additionally, the HCMC Diabetes Management team offers a 7-10 day monitoring period using our professional CGM system. This produces an extensive report of the user's glucose during that period which can then be interpreted to guide new therapies and interventions. Finally, the care of all clinic patients is influenced by both its expert Medical Director, Dr. Neal Friedman and Administrative Assistant, LoriAnn Cortez. LoriAnn is recognizable by her bubbly phone personality when she's checking each patient's insurance benefits and encouraging them to schedule with a diabetes educator and Dr. Friedman is guiding each educator's practice with news of the latest medical research. More information about Diabetes Management can be found at Holy Cross MedicalCenter.org or by calling LoriAnn at (575) 751-5769. Be well. Diabetes Management and Medical Nutrition Services in Taos The Health Care Corner Brought to you by Holy Cross Medical Center Diabetes is often discussed in terms of just two clinical types : the autoimmune type 1 and " metabolic " type 2. But , you can gather a room full of individuals living with type 2 diabetes and the ways in which their blood glucose , or blood sugar , becomes elevated can differ widely . For those individuals without diabetes , as blood sugar levels rise , the pancreas produces insulin , a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage . As cells absorb blood sugar , levels in the bloodstream begin to fall . When this happens , the pancreas produces glucagon , a hormone that signals the liver to start releasing stored sugar . Homeostasis at its best . In contrast , those people living with diabetes , the liver produces more blood glucose than is needed , the number of cells that produce insulin in the pancreas is less and the muscles and other cells ' response to insulin is blunted . In addition , other factors such as stress and illness can cause an increase in blood sugar . The strength of Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialists at Holy Cross Medical Center's ( HCMC ) Diabetes Clinic is to determine each patient's blood sugar make - up . This is done through compassionate assessment of the person's health and family history , laboratory values , eating habits , activity level , and behavioral health . The latter of which often leads an important discussion about stress even common stressors such as family and child care , finances , and / or pressures at work can trigger primal alarm responses in the body that raise blood glucose . Once someone living with diabetes has made the decision to improve their blood glucose management , the HCMC Diabetes Management team provides countless routes of support and intervention to make that happen . Nutrition counseling and strategies to become more physically active are some of the more conventional and universally successful approaches . A fun fact Diabetes & Nutrition Support in Taos . Holy Cross Medical Center HolyCrossMedical Center.org ( 575 ) 751-5769 that you might only learn from spending time with one of our educators , is that a person with diabetes can put themselves in a state of non - diabetes solely by the act of exercising , Exercise allows blood sugar to be taken up by muscles and cells more effectively and therefore is utilized instead of circulating in the bloodstream . All patients at the clinic - whether just diagnosed or having lived with diabetes for years - have the support of Kelsey Chmil , Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist ( CDCES ) available to them for these tried - and - true plans of action . Basic nutrition education is widely taught and it can be immensely gratifying to finally understand how different , delicious foods behave in our body once eaten . Sometimes the most important part of a person's nutrition journey is to " unlearn " the restrictive , often detrimental mindset proffered by unlicensed diet gurus on the internet . Kelsey's years of experience make her just the expert to have in your corner Paid Advertisement The Diabetes Management and Medical Nutrition Therapy team . LoriAnn Cortez ( Admin . Asst . ) , Dr. Neal Friedman ( Medical Director ) , Kelsey Chmil ( Registered Dietitian , CDCES ) , Nicole Smirl ( Registered Nurse ) , Angela Torres ( Doctor of Pharmacy , CDCES ) once you're ready to fall back in love with food and improve your diabetes management . In many cases , even a perfect diet and active lifestyle may yield glucose control that falls below the desired mark ; as a chronic disease , it gets worse over time . The good news is that modern diabetes interventions including the latest medications and glucose monitoring technology can help patients achieve their blood glucose goals . This is where Angela Torres , Doctor of Pharmacy , CDCES and Nicole " Nikki " Smirl , Registered Nurse and CDCES in - training get to share their skills . Angela not only keeps the clinic up - to - date about the latest medications available for diabetes management but also stays abreast of how they can be afforded by patients with various insurance coverage . For example , a new medication , Mounjaro with its numerous modes of action , has proven to improve blood glucose and stimulate weight loss , but its novelty makes it still yet unaffordable to the majority of patients . But worry not : there are countless other effective medications available for which Angela and Nikki can navigate your insurance coverage to avoid breaking the bank . The glucose - monitoring technologies mentioned above have advanced to the point where multiple finger - sticks per day can be avoided by instead employing a continuous - glucose monitor ( CGM ) - a discreet device that is applied to a patient's body for extended periods to produce real time feedback about their glucose every few minutes . Insurance coverage for personal versions of these devices can be difficult but not impossible which is why Nikki dedicates time each week to sorting out assistance applications for the patients who qualify . Additionally , the HCMC Diabetes Management team offers a 7-10 day monitoring period using our professional CGM system . This produces an extensive report of the user's glucose during that period which can then be interpreted to guide new therapies and interventions . Finally , the care of all clinic patients is influenced by both its expert Medical Director , Dr. Neal Friedman and Administrative Assistant , LoriAnn Cortez . LoriAnn is recognizable by her bubbly phone personality when she's checking each patient's insurance benefits and encouraging them to schedule with a diabetes educator and Dr. Friedman is guiding each educator's practice with news of the latest medical research . More information about Diabetes Management can be found at Holy Cross MedicalCenter.org or by calling LoriAnn at ( 575 ) 751-5769 . Be well .