Diabetes & Endocrinology Services

Let Us Guide You on Your Diabetes Journey
Like any journey, managing diabetes requires careful planning, determination, and the right guidance. Our Diabetes Care Team is here to be your trusted navigator on this path to better health. 

ACMH Diabetes Care Team

Are you ready to reclaim your vitality and well-being? Our comprehensive program is designed to empower you on your journey to better health through improved diabetes management. Our Diabetes Care Team is comprised of experienced professionals who will guide you every step of the way, providing support, education, and motivation to achieve your health goals. From meal planning to exercise tips, we've got you covered.
 

Picture yourself embarking on an adventure, with each step bringing you closer to your destination of improved well-being. Along the way, you will encounter challenges and obstacles, but with our diabetes team by your side, you will have the tools and support to overcome them. Our care team offers personalized counseling sessions based on your diabetes needs, which may also include other aspects of care, such as weight loss or management of hypertension. We aim to help you understand your diagnosis and the important role nutrition plays in managing it. This includes guidance of food choices for high and low blood sugar, meal planning, and portion control. Additionally, we will highlight the role of physical activity in blood sugar regulation. When managing your diabetes, think of your blood sugar levels as the terrain you navigate - sometimes smooth, other times rocky and unpredictable. With our personalized strategies and resources, you will learn to anticipate and conquer any twists and turns that come your way. We tailor our involvement to your needs, directing your footsteps towards a better, healthier life. Wherever you are on your journey, even if you are taking your first steps, we will work with you to develop a personalized plan to manage your Diabetes with nutrition, physical activity, and medication management.  

All dietitians on the ACMH Diabetes Care Team are certified by the Commission of Dietetic Registration, licensed in the State of Pennsylvania, and have their Master’s Degree in Nutrition. Our Diabetes Educator is certified by the American Association of Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. Together, we have 80 years of experience, enabling us to equip you with the knowledge to continue your journey independently. 

Talk to your provider today! Together, let’s chart a course to a happier, healthier you.


 

Nutrition and Education... Important Steps on Your Journey

What is our role as part of the Diabetes Care Team? After learning all about you – your health history, daily schedule/routine, favorite foods, eating habits, physical activity, and more, we tailor the counseling session to YOU. Sometimes this involves helping with Diabetes only, but other times it may involve other aspects of care, such as weight loss or management of hypertension. We are going to help you understand all about your diagnosis of Diabetes and the role that nutrition can play in helping to manage it. For example, we will discuss what foods to choose when your blood sugar is elevated, what foods to choose when your blood sugar is low, and how to plan structured meals and snacks to regulate your blood sugar levels on a regular basis. This will include discussion about things like “simple” vs “complex” carbohydrates, how to distribute carbohydrate consumption throughout the day, other foods to pair with carbohydrates, and portion sizes. In addition to nutrition, we will often touch on physical activity. Physical activity and exercise play a role in the regulation of your blood sugar levels. Improving control in your blood sugar levels will result in a lowered A1C and overall improvement in how you feel.
 

How often will you work with us? Our involvement in your care is very individualized. We will often encourage you to set small goals to work towards overall better management of your Diabetes diagnosis. Sometimes this will require more frequent meetings with someone from your Diabetes Care Team in order to help you reach those goals, other times you might only see us one or two times to help get you on the right track. No matter what, we are going to meet you where you are, and work with you to develop the best plan to help manage your Diabetes with nutrition and physical activity, along with any medications that you are on. 

Endocrinology

Endocrinology is a medical specialty that concerns the structure, function and disorders of the endocrine glands:

  • Pituitary
  • Thyroid
  • Parathyroid
  • Pancreatic islets
  • Adrenals
  • Gonads (testes and ovaries)

These glands communicate broadly with multiple body organs and body systems. An endocrinologist is trained specifically to treat these disorders.
There are common and rare disorders. Common disorders include:

  • Diabetes
  • Low testosterone
  • Polycystic ovarian disease
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Osteoporosis
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Hypothyroid
  • Hyperthyroid
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Hypercalcemia
  • Osteopenia
  • Osteoporosis. 

For information on endocrinology services at ACMH, please call 724-543-8577.

Michele Shearer, a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (DCES) is a health care professional who has received special education and training in diabetes.  These professionals continue to participate in ongoing education that is specific to diabetes for their entire career. They are someone you can turn to for answer about diabetes.  We take the time to get to know you, your daily routine, your eating patterns, eating decisions, lifestyle as well as activity preferences. They partner with you to support you in making healthier decisions that will improve how you feel and improve your overall health.  A DCES can help you learn new skills such as using a glucose meter, using a continuous glucose monitor or how to chose healthier at our local restaurants and will work with you to develop a plan for diabetes management that respects your habits, interests and beliefs. 

The ACMH Diabetes Care Team has members who are Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.  Our team consists of both RN’s and RD’s to help you at any stage of diabetes.  Talk to your provider today about a referral to see these team members or call us at 724-543-8817 for more information and to see if seeing a DCES can help you along your diabetes journey. 

Bethany Rusnak, Kay Stivason and Carol Shearer-Dilliott are your nutrition experts (Registered Dietitians). We are all certified by the Commission of Dietetic Registration, licensed in the State of Pennsylvania, and have our Master’s Degree in Nutrition. Our undergraduate courses included chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, nutrition counseling, medical nutrition therapy, advanced nutrition, and much more. Our Master’s level training included motivational interviewing, guided goal setting, behavior change techniques, and counseling strategies.  We also received training on community program development. 

This education makes us the “go to source” for Nutrition Counseling and the best choice for implementing nutrition programs for individuals and our community.  In addition, we were also required to review and develop research in the field, allowing us to provide up-to-date and evidenced-based recommendations. We are the best resource to help decipher information related to all things nutrition. Between the three of us, you have access to 54 years of experience, with expertise in many different areas of nutrition: critical care needs, cancer treatment, nutrition support, diabetes, weight loss, celiac, heart, liver and kidney diseases. As well as a working knowledge of many other diagnoses that nutrition intervention can help to manage. 

Endocrinology Assoc. of Armstrong

600 Medical Arts Building, Suite 640
Kittanning, PA
16201
Phone: 724-543-8577
Fax: 724-543-8623
Monday - Friday: 8:00AM - 4:30PM