Cartersville, Ga. (September 29, 2025) – Today, the American Diabetes Association® (ADA)—the nation’s leading organization committed to fighting diabetes—announced the recognition of Piedmont Cartersville’s Outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support training through their Education Recognition Program (ERP). The diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) service at Piedmont Cartersville is free and has been serving the local community for 15 years.
The ADA’s ERP certificate assures that educational services meet the National Standards for DSMES. The corresponding intervention provided is evidence-based and outcome driven. Services apply for recognition voluntarily and ADA-ERP recognition lasts for four years.
“DSMES is an essential part of managing diabetes and is as effective as diabetes medication. Therefore, all people with diabetes benefit from it,” said Barbara Eichorst, MS, RD, CDCES, the ADA’s vice president of health programs. “We applaud Piedmont Cartersville’s Outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program for its commitment to providing value-based interventions such as DSMES, maximizing corresponding outcomes, and patient experience.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Diabetes Fact Sheet, there are over 38 million people, or 11.6%, of the U.S. population who have diabetes. While an estimated 29.7 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 8.7 million people are not aware they have this disease. Each day, nearly 3,300 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. Many will first learn they have diabetes when they are treated for one of its life-threatening complications—heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve disease, or amputation. Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S.—in 2021, it contributed to 399,401 deaths. The ADA’s Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2022 report confirms diabetes continues to be one of the nation’s most expensive chronic health care conditions, with an estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes of $412.9 billion.
Learn more about the ADA’s ERP and other ERP-certified services.