OGDENSBURG — Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Foundation received a $105,500 grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to create a patient-centered education suite.

The suite will give patients and the larger North Country community increased access to life-saving diabetes education and prevention from Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs), according to Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Foundation.

James Shaw, Lions Club member and past district governor of Lion’s District MD20-W, is credited with “tireless support and coordination,” and the support of Lions Clubs across the region, Claxton-Hepburn’s Diabetes Education Department will have “a comfortable and technologically enhanced space to counsel patients privately, as well as facilitate diabetes self-management education classes of all sizes in a supportive learning environment,” the announcement said. “With the new capabilities of the suite, our CDEs will also be able to provide training and education in person and remotely to our community partners, primary care office staff, hospital healthcare workers, and community-based healthcare workers.”

The vision of the Claxton-Hepburn Diabetes Education Department is that

The “evidence-based diabetes self-management education will be accessible to all members of our community with diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes, and this project is a vital step in seeing this vision realized,” the press release said.

The program is recognized for its success in guiding patients to lower their A1C values significantly, as well as lose and keep off weight, the statement said.

This is the first LCIF grant the district has ever received.

A formal reception to celebrate the award and the vision of hospital’s CDEs being realized will in May at the medical center.

Construction is expected to begin in the fall.