Comprehensive Intervention to Evaluate Outcomes AND Cost in Hospitalized Surgical Patients With Diabetes Mellitus (DM)

This study is being performed to evaluate whether a comprehensive discharge planning and close follow up for one year can improve clinical outcomes and cut costs of care for patients with poorly controlled diabetes. The study takes a high risk approach and is focused on patients admitted to hospital for elective surgery with HbA1c \>8%. Secondary goals include improving teamwork and communication for clinicians within the team and teaching nurse practitioners and physicians-in-training how to work effectively within interdisciplinary teams. Investigators anticipate that the results of this project may lead to the following benefits: 1) improved health outcomes for surgical patients with diabetes, 2) improved strategies for better communication within interdisciplinary health care teams, and 3) decreased health care costs.