Supply, N.C. - Nine local Novant Medical Group physicians have been recognized nationally for providing high quality care to patients with diabetes. In addition, three of these physicians have received recognition for providing quality care to patients who have cardiovascular disease or have experienced a stroke.

The nine physicians recognized for diabetes care include James Adams, M.D., Internal Medicine; Peter Almirall, M.D., Oak Island Medical Center; Sanjay Batish, M.D., Batish Family Medicine; Daniel Blizzard, D.O., Ocean Isle Family Medicine; Sidney Fortney, M.D., Oak Island Medical Center; Douglas Hiltz, M.D., Southport Internal Medicine; Chris Isenhour, M.D., Oceanside Family Medicine; James Moreci, M.D., Calabash Internal Medicine; and Kevin Price, D.O., Cascade Primary Care.

The Diabetes Physician Recognition Program was developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to improve the quality of care patients receive by recognizing physicians who deliver quality diabetes care.

???For a person with diabetes, the right physician can make the difference between living with diabetes as opposed to suffering from diabetes,??? said John Buse, M.D., president of medicine and science for the ADA. ???Physicians who earn recognition through the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program have an established track record of providing excellent diabetes care.???

Diabetes, a disease that affects nearly 16 million Americans, affects the body???s ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. It is the sixth-leading cause of death by disease in the United States and it has no cure.

The nine physicians recognized were evaluated on several measures, including providing routine eye exams, blood pressure tests, nutrition therapy and patient satisfaction, among other factors. The ADA and NCQA state that people are less likely to suffer complications such as heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputations when they receive quality diabetes care as outlined by these measures.

Drs. Adams, Almirall and Hiltz have also been recognized by the NCQA for providing quality care to patients who have cardiovascular disease or have experienced a stroke. The Heart/Stroke Recognition Program was developed by NCQA and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA). The measures evaluated for this recognition included blood pressure and cholesterol control, among others.

???Quality patient care translates into lives saved,??? said Sidney Smith, past president and past chief science officer for the AHA/ASA. ???This is why the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is supporting a recognition program for physicians providing quality care.???

Mark Tillotson, M.D., president of the Novant Medical Group???s Coastal Market said, ???We are incredibly proud of each of these physicians. This recognition is a testament of the excellent quality of care provided by all of our Novant Medical Group physicians.???

Novant Medical Group is a network of primary care and specialty physicians that are members of Novant Health, the not-for-profit healthcare system that includes Brunswick Community Hospital. Currently, 37 physicians in southeastern North Carolina are affiliated with the Novant Medical Group.

For more information on any of these physician practices, call the Novant Medical Group at 910-754-7870.

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