LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital is proud to announce a support group for diabetes patients on the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The group will meet in the waiting room of Sutter Lakeside Community Clinic; the inaugural meeting will be on Tuesday, July 12.

Kathy Exum, RN, MSN Certified Diabetes Educator, will lead the group, along with Lisa Lewis, LVN.

Exum’s career as a nurse and diabetes educator spans over 35 years, and she has served on multiple units, including intensive care, medical/surgical, and outpatient care.

“Working in a small hospital offers the opportunity to be involved in as much as you’d like,” said Exum. “I like learning new things, and I love the rural atmosphere. There’s a sense of community in a small town when you get to know a lot of people.”

Exum grew up in a medical family; her mother was a nurse and her father continues to serve as a respected community physician at the age of 83.

“I never thought of doing anything else,” said Exum. “Medicine always felt like the right fit. I love the opportunity to teach patients and help them learn how to help themselves.”

Exum’s patients appreciate her efforts; she received the Daisy Award in June 2015, an honor bestowed upon nurses by grateful patients.

“I treat patients the way I would want to be treated,” said Exum. “I show them respect and try to help them feel good. I’ve been a patient; it makes a difference when you feel like the people taking care of you really care about you.”

Her passion for empowering patients inspired the initiation of a diabetes peer support group.

“Peer supporters are an important way to help patients cope with social or emotional barriers and to stay motivated to reach their goals,” said Exum. “We’re also planning to introduce education topics, such as foot care, or recipe sharing. It’s important to get patients thinking about goals, and ways they can partner with their provider to prevent long term complications.”

To learn more about diabetes education or diabetes peer support, please contact Kathy Exum at 707-262-5140 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Morgen Wells is Community Relations & Fund Development coordinator at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.