Baptist Health Systems Signs on with dMeetings to Provide Online DSMES

JACKSONVILLE, FL., May 1, 2019 – Baptist Health Systems of Little Rock, Arkansas has signed on with dMeetings to provide an online Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) series to Arkansas’. Baptist health is a clinically integrated network serving over 1,500 providers, 11 associated hospitals, and over 275 clinics across Arkansas. “We all know about the burden of diabetes in the nation and the state of Arkansas,” says Baptist’s Clinical Quality Manager Sharon Aureli, “of the nearly 15% of Arkansans with diabetes, 75,000 are undiagnosed.” With the number of citizens remaining undiagnosed on the rise, this also means the amount of money spent on diabetes will continue to rise. Aureli shares this as one of the major reasons for Baptist deploying online DSMES to its many sites. “Diabetes is our biggest population health problem,” says Aureli.

With diabetes remaining a top health challenge for the state and population health remaining a top focus, Aureli and her team sought a thorough solution to quickly reach a large number of patients with varied demographics. dMeetings’ programming quickly became a logical fit for our need. “After reviewing dMeetings courses and going through the sessions, there was practically no hesitation in our decision,” says Aureli. “We quickly saw that the series was well organized with valuable information delivering quality education for patients. For many people around the state, just getting to the training is a challenge.” Currently, Baptist is in the marketing phase and making diabetes patients aware of the new resources available to them. “We are hopeful that as we continue to get the word out, participation will continue to increase.” Some physicians will share dMeetings with their patients at their clinics. There is also the opportunity for reimbursement with accredited programs through Medicare.

With Baptist Health Systems signing on, dMeetings continues to grow in Arkansas helping organizations and health professionals better support their patients. Baptist continues to work closely with the Arkansas Department of Health to take advantage of opportunities to educate and support patients using online DSMES in the state. Aureli is extremely confident online DMSES will be significant win for Baptist and for patients in Arkansas. “As more patients continue signing up and utilizing these resources, our cost per patient will decrease.” Arkansas spending on diabetes related complications continues to rise and dMeetings is a logical step forward to mitigate those costs.

dMeetings ignited innovative patient education in 2011 with the launch of online diabetes self-management education and support for patients and providers. Nearly a decade later, dMeetings remains deeply committed to patient education. By producing high-quality online courses, in the broader space of chronic diseases, the company promotes effective instruction for patients to live healthier lifestyles while managing their condition responsibly. dMeetings has championed the online patient education revolution with its easily accessible and economical content offered to organizations at all levels including healthcare payers, providers, departments of health, and employers across the nation.