| New
diabetes educator at SMH
Vicki Berg, RN, CDE has recently accepted the position of Diabetes Educator for SMH. This position became vacant  when
the previous Diabetes Educator, Becky Ewing moved out of the area.
Berg has worked for SMH since November 2010 doing PRN work in diabetes education in the Grangeville Clinic, as well as helping with the diabetes support groups and the Healthy Horizon program. She received her RN degree in 1977 from the University of South Dakota, and has been a Certified Diabetes Educator since 1998. She has also been a Medtronic insulin pump trainer since 2005. When asked about her goals for the program Berg stated, “I want to continue the work Becky started; providing diabetes education in the Cottonwood and Kamiah clinics and facilitating the two diabetes support groups. I am excited to work with the area physicians on programs such as shared medical appointments, group education and to find out what their diabetes patients’ educational needs are. I also want to make information available on lifestyle changes for those at risk, so they can prevent pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.” Berg will also be working with Kevin Conger, DTR on the Health Horizons weight loss program. “According to the North Central Idaho Health Department, 67% of the population in our health district is considered overweight or obese,” said Berg. “This same population has an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, unless lifestyle changes are made. Kevin and Becky Ewing have already developed a great lifestyle-based program for weight management and it meets an important need for this region. I look forward to working, again, with Kevin as we start up another series of Healthy Horizons in January in the Cottonwood and Kamiah areas; watch your local papers for more details on days and times.” Vicki along with her husband, Mike who also works at SMH as a nurse anesthetist, live in Grangeville and have been married for 32 years. And according to Vicki they have “two totally spoiled cats.” In her free time Vicki enjoys Zumba, hiking, genealogy, history, traveling, music and paper crafts. “When I first started working in diabetes education in Twin Falls, I attended a ‘Day with Diabetes’ program for children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents,” said Berg. “It was so inspiring to see the resilience in these children and their families, as they learned to live well with diabetes. People with chronic diseases like diabetes do not get a vacation from the disease. It is my hope that I can provide the support and education they need to live well with diabetes.” |
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