Orangeville, ON - The Paediatric Diabetes Care Program at Headwaters Health Care Centre is now able to offer on-site A1C checking for children with diabetes.

Families attending the clinic are thrilled with the convenience and speed of the new A1C machine. “Normally we have to drive to the lab, have the blood work drawn and wait a week for the results. Now we just come to the Diabetes office at Headwaters and we get the test results in 7 minutes,” says the mother of 15-year old Rory.

Every three months children with diabetes have their hemoglobin A1C level checked. An A1C check measures the 3 month average for blood sugar and helps guide care. The lab reference gives the patient a value that it should be under. For children, normal blood work can be painful and traumatic. “The A1C machine is fast and the kids don’t seem to mind the test,” says Jane Blears, Diabetes Educator at Headwaters.

12-year old Rebecca agrees, “I like the A1C machine test better. It is less time consuming and less painful.”

The A1C test is a blood test done in the lab, but can now also be done using an A1C machine. The child pokes their finger and a small blood sample is drawn to measure their average blood glucose levels. The test is done as part of the child’s quarterly check up. At the Headwaters Paediatric Diabetes Care Program clinic staff are able to offer children and their families the testing as part of their 3 month check-up with Paediatrician Dr. Murphy and the diabetes educators.

Rebecca’s parents have attended a number of sessions offered by the Diabetes Care team. “When Rebecca was diagnosed with Diabetes my wife and I didn’t know much about the disease. Thanks to help from the Diabetes Care team we have learned a lot. We went to the insulin pump information night to learn more about it and now Rebecca manages it by herself. Diabetes has had a big impact on her life and our lives,” said Rebecca’s father Stephen Tersteege. “The staff is great; they have educated us and answered our questions. They are very knowledgeable and always helpful.”

“The A1C machine is small but it has a huge impact on the lives of families with diabetes,” notes Blears.

Headwaters Diabetes Care Program hosts a number of community information sessions such as grocery tours and pharmacy information days as well educational sessions for adults and children with diabetes. For more information call the Diabetes Care Program at 519-941-2410 ext. 2525 or visit www.headwatershealth.ca.

The public is invited to provide comments and suggestions about hospital services. Please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre at 519-941-2702 ext. 2200.

About Headwaters Health Care Centre
Headwaters Health Care Centre serves more than 110,000 residents in Caledon, Orangeville, Shelburne and Dufferin County. The hospital operates two sites – Headwaters Orangeville, a 108 bed acute care hospital and Headwaters Shelburne, a 33 bed chronic care hospital. Visit www.headwatershealth.ca.

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