Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP James L. Holly, M.D. Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP


About SETMA - Special Services - Education Department
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Special Services

All education is based on learning how to make healthy lifestyle changes in order to promote overall health and prevent or help treat complications arising from health conditions.

Diabetes Education:

This is an intensive self-management program that follows guidelines set forth by the American Diabetes Association. It consists of an initial one-on-one assessment by a diabetes educator (either a registered nurse or dietitian), group classes, and a one-on-one follow-up visit. Patients will be taught all of the ten content areas; including diabetes disease process, monitoring, psychosocial adjustment, medication, nutritional management, physical activity, goal setting and problem solving, and the prevention, detection, and treatment of acute and chronic complications through risk reduction. Behavior modification is a major focal point of the program in order to assist the patient in preventing the complications of diabetes.

Cholesterol Management:

Content will include review of what is cholesterol (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and how it contributes to CVD, lab tests used in scoring cholesterol levels, management and appropriate goals and how medications are used to treat cholesterol. The patient will learn how to achieve a desirable blood cholesterol level, incorporate lifestyle changes including physical activity and a healthy eating pattern in order to reduce the risk of CVD, and achieve a desirable blood pressure level.

Weight Management:

The weight management class is taught by a registered dietitian in a supportive environment where patients will learn what effects appetite and causes weight gain, individual social and behavioral triggers to eating, health conditions that are more prominent with excess weight, and positive lifestyle changes that can promote weight loss and an improved quality of life. The patient will learn what works in long-term, successful weight loss. Each participant will be provided with an individual meal plan , learn how to read labels, understand portion sizes, good foods to choose, and have an opportunity to continue with individual follow-up visits.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension:

This class focuses on learning the DASH eating style which has been clinically demonstrated to help lower blood pressure.

Metabolic Syndrome:

Content includes definition of what is metabolic syndrome, identification of risk factors for development of metabolic syndrome as well as the risk associated with having metabolic syndrome. Lab value targets for glucose and lipid control will be discussed. Patients will be educated on making lifestyle changes necessary to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes through medication management, nutrition, exercise, weight management and cessation of smoking.