Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and the state Department of Health's Diabetes Prevention and Control Program have awarded the 2009 North Dakota Diabetes Care Provider Achievement Awards to 193 providers and 17 clinics. The awards recognize recipients for demonstrating excellence in managing the care of adult or pediatric diabetes patients in 2008.

Providers earn an award if they have four or more adult or pediatric patients and meet at least four out of five criteria, which are based on American Diabetes Association Standards. Providers who meet all five criteria receive gold awards. Clinics earn an award if they have more than 10 patients and meet all five criteria.

Of the providers who work with adult diabetes patients, 181 earned awards, 94 of which were gold.

The adult criteria are:

• Annual office visit, 100 percent
• Annual A1C (assessment of blood sugar control over time), 95 percent
• Annual dilated eye exam, 60 percent
• Annual lipid profile, 85 percent
• Annual nephropathy (kidney disease) assessment, 80 percent

Twelve providers earned the pediatric award, eight of which were gold:

• Annual office visit, 100 percent
• Annual A1C (assessment of blood sugar control over time), 95 percent
• Annual dilated eye exam for children at least 10 years old and five years after diabetes diagnosis, then annually, 60 percent
• Annual lipid profile for children at least 10 years old and five years after diabetes diagnosis, then annually, 85 percent
• Annual nephropathy (kidney disease) assessment for children at least 10 years old and five years after diabetes diagnosis, then annually, 80 percent