Diabetes Education Center Receives Grant

Amy Thompson, Mineola Branch Manager for Astoria Federal Savings (center) visited the Winthrop Diabetes Education Center, where she presented a check for $5,000 to Barry Cosel-Pieper, Winthrop's Director of Development, and Virginia Peragallo-Dittko, Director of the Diabetes Education Center.

A recent grant from Astoria Federal Savings will help Winthrop-University Hospital's nationally renowned Diabetes Education Center continue on the cutting-edge of diabetes education, employing innovative techniques to meet the educational needs of patients in the Internet generation. Thanks to Astoria Federal's $5,000 gift, the Diabetes Education Center will create a non-traditional learning environment, equipped with two computer workstations and interactive resources, designed to enhance the educational experiences of computer savvy patients.

This latest initiative is an extension of the Diabetes Education Center's commitment to providing the latest in diabetes care while tailoring the delivery of the information to meet patients' specific educational needs.

"We are so grateful for Astoria Federal's continued support of the Winthrop Diabetes Education Center," said Virginia Peragallo-Dittko, APRN, BC-ADM, MA, CDE, Director of the Diabetes Education Center. "The Diabetes Education Center staff possess dual expertise - in both diabetes care and patient education. This grant will help us meet the challenge of teaching patients in the Internet generation who are very comfortable with technology, and begin the process of creating a virtual diabetes education team."

The gift brings Astoria Federal Savings' support of diabetes education at Winthrop to a total of $15,000. Previous grants from Astoria in 2005 and 2006 were utilized by the Diabetes Education Center for the completion of a DVD-based diabetes education teaching program and the design and development of interactive, multimedia teaching aids for use by Winthrop's diabetes educators.

Winthrop-University Hospital is a pioneer in the field of diabetes education. Winthrop's Diabetes Education Center, the first education program in New York State to be accredited and recognized by the American Diabetes Association, serves over 2,100 patients annually through its comprehensive educational programming and support services. The Center offers free support groups to all families of children with diabetes who receive treatment anywhere in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens.

For more information about Winthrop's Diabetes Education Center and its comprehensive programs, call (516) 663-2350.