By Patty Scalzo MSN, NP, RN, CDCES
ADCES Director of Diabetes Technology Initiatives 

Whatever specialty you practice in, you are providing care to many people who are living with diabetes. Education is an important component of providing care. Do you ever wonder if there was more you could be doing? While the condition of diabetes remains, our care, education and management of it evolves and improves all the time. ADCES is here to help you be at the forefront of diabetes care, education and management.

Hi, my name is Patty Scalzo, and I am a nurse practitioner and a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES). I worked as a registered nurse for many years before I went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. I became a diabetes care and education specialist after being a nurse for over 5 years. I always loved working with people with diabetes and diabetes touches so many people’s lives.

Lois was my mentor. She was a researcher and a diabetes care and education specialist. She inspired me with her kindness and caring and she believed in me and my ability to make a difference in the lives of people with diabetes. With her encouragement, I took the exam and became a certified diabetes care and education specialist and have remained one ever since.

ADCES has been here throughout my career to provide education and resources to help me develop expertise and to provide the best possible care to the people with diabetes that I have encountered over the years.

As you know, diabetes and its comorbidities are reflected in many of the people that we see every day. That knowledge I obtained to pass the diabetes care and education specialist exam helped me understand and provide care for people with diabetes and related conditions. ADCES has been here throughout my career to provide education and resources to help me develop expertise and to provide the best possible care to the people with diabetes that I have encountered over the years.

Here are some of the ADCES benefits that have helped me stay on the cutting edge of diabetes management and education over the years:

• Online learning opportunities for free CME about diabetes and related topics.
• Advanced practice community of interest that is now offering a journal club.
• Technology-focused website – danatech.org – that provides information about diabetes technology products, education and resources.
• Educational handouts to provide to people with diabetes.
• Two ADCES journals: ADCES in Practice, which has a practical and clinical focus, and The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care, which is research based.

I encourage you to join me as an ADCES member so that you can take full advantage of all the diabetes-focused resources and education the organization provides. You and the people with diabetes that you provide care to will be so glad you joined!