Georgia Southern University Doctor of Nursing Practice Alumna Receives Grant to Fight Diabetes

February 6, 2013

Susan Riley, FNP, CDE, an alumna of Georgia Southern University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, has been awarded a $20,000 grant to expand a much needed diabetes education program in Georgia.

The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Education and Research Foundation awarded the Reaching Out for Better Health grant to Riley and the Family Health Care Center Diabetes Program to expand the program to Jenkins County, Ga.  Family Health Care Center is just one of 10 accredited diabetes education programs in the nation receiving the grant out of more than 40 applications.

The one-year project will help support new and expanded outreach and education activities at accredited diabetes programs that target underserved populations.  The aim is to develop, pilot, promote and evaluate new programs that reach those with high disparities so that they can better manage and control their diabetes. The program is designed to address these barriers with the ultimate goal of demonstrating positive behavioral and clinical outcomes in people with diabetes.  There will be no cost for participants to attend the educational sessions.

Riley, a family nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator from Statesboro, Ga., will be working with the Jenkins County Diabetes Coalition to offer her interactive SMART board diabetes education program to the underinsured residents of the county.   This new grant is an extension and expansion of INTERCEDE, a monthly diabetes education program that Riley created for adults in the communities of Portal and Stilson, Ga. In 2011, she was awarded the AADE – Bayer Innovation in Practice Award for INTERCEDE. For more information about available diabetes education programs, please call the Family Health Care Center at 912-489-4090.

Georgia Southern University launched its online DNP program in 2008 and graduated the first class in 2011.  The fully online program prepares graduates to provide the most advanced level of nursing care for individuals and communities, including direct care of individual patients, management of care for individuals and populations, administration of nursing systems, and the development and implementation of health policy.   Students in the unique program take a total of 40 credits with nine elective credits designed for those who would like a focus in education, public health, epidemiology, business, nursing informatics or other areas. Georgia Southern’s graduate nursing programs have been ranked in the top 15 nationally by U.S. News and World Report for the past three years.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.