Welcome to Champion Diabetes & Nutrition Services clinic! Education is provided by our Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialists to empower patients to take an active role in the management of their health.
Services offered include:
- Diabetes Self-Management & Training (DSMT) Group Classes
EMPOWER Diabetes Group classes will be offered once the patient is established with the clinic. - Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)
Educator can only place device and provide education, referral required.
- Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for:
– Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
– Kidney Transplant (within the last 36 months)
– Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
– Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
– Adolescent/Teens BMI > 95% PERCENTILE
– Cancer
– Weight Management
* Please call our office if you have a specific diagnosis not listed
IMPORTANT: Please have your clinic staff have patients call their insurance to see if they have coverage for MNT and DSMT benefits.
Our services are available by physician referral only. A referral must be obtained from the patient’s primary care provider or a specialist with a qualifying diagnosis. We also accept referrals from Pediatrics. All referrals should be written to Champion Diabetes and Nutrition Services.
Please call our office regarding Tricare patients before writing a referral, as Tricare is Provider specific.
OUR PROVIDERS
Denise Giroux, MPH, MS, RD, LD, CDCES – Registered Dietitian & Diabetes Educator
Denise has been a Registered Dietitian (RD) for 12 years, licensed through New Mexico as a Licensed Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDCES) since 2018. Focusing on inpatient and outpatient counseling as a Clinical Dietitian and Outpatient Dietitian within Population Health and in a multi-specialty clinic in Central Valley California, she welcomes the opportunity to continue this path in Otero County.
Denise enjoys providing diabetes education to the community in a way that involves the person she is counselling to feel engaged and empowered as they understand the importance on making lifestyle changes to improve and manage their A1c and blood sugar control and help prevent complications.
Other Areas of Expertise: Renal, Cardiovascular, Celiac, Diabetes (type 1 and type 2), Gestational Diabetes, Oncology, Weight Management and general nutrition. Denise welcomes the opportunity to work alongside our providers whose patients are diagnosed with LADA and MODY to provide in their care.
Education: Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Master of Public Health; Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio; Bachelor’s in Food/ Nutrition; Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois; Master’s in Exercise Science; Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois; Bachelor’s in Biology
Membership and Certifications: Community of Interest (COI) group in New Mexico and 5 other states with the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialist organization, Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDCES)
Shirley Dakin, RD, LD, CDCES – Registered Dietitian & Diabetes Educator
Shirley has been a Registered Dietitian for over 23 years. She began her career with Indian Health Service at the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM where she focused on inpatient clinical nutrition over the lifespan to include diabetes, pediatrics, geriatrics and renal. From there she moved to the Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi, MS where she expanded her focus to include cardiac and oncology. During this period, she enhanced her outpatient counseling skills while becoming a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, participated in the roll out of the VA’s weight management program MOVE! and assisted with the facility Diabetes Education class. Finally, she returned to New Mexico to serve at the Mescalero Service Unit in Mescalero, NM where she used her expertise to augment the Tribal Diabetes Education Program with classes focusing on weight management, continuous glucose monitoring and diabetes prevention in children as well as general nutrition. She is looking forward to using her experience to enhance the services at Gerald Champion and expand community access.
Education: Masters: University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Dietetic Internship. Undergraduate: Appalachian State University, Boone, NC; Bachelor’s Degree in Food & Nutrition
Licensures: Board Certification: Registered/Licensed Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Education Care and Education Specialist
Shirley is also a Certified Martial Arts Instructor and enjoys leading classes and teaching the art of Tae Kwon Do and general fitness to students of all ages at the local Tiger Rock Academy.
For additional information about the programs and services offered, please contact the Champion Diabetes and Nutrition Services clinic.
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM
Closed for Lunch: 12:00PM – 1:00PM