Barbados Diabetes Foundation

the barbados diabetes foundation (bdf) was formed in 2001 as a mechanism for providing a holistic approach to the management of diabetes in barbados. our center, the maria holder diabetes centre for the caribbean, opened in 2014 and is an institution dedicated exclusively to the management of diabetes in barbados. it offers a multidisciplinary approach to diabetes care, which is a concept new to barbados. patients may be seen by diabetes specialist physicians, specialist nurses, nutritionists, and psychologists at the same visit in a holistic exercise. the centre also houses a foot care clinic which is run by podiatric specialists who work in tandem with the rest of the team. other services offered by the centre are exercise therapy, retinal imaging and on-site point of care laboratory services. patient empowerment and self-management are the central focus of every encounter. patients are seen on referral or by appointment.