Time to Plan for the Next Leaders....
By: Nadine Merker, Director of Member and Volunteer Engagement
As we transition from summer to fall, it reminds us that we need to begin to make plans to provide for another upcoming change—looking ahead to your group’s 2016 leaders.
Hopefully your CB, LNG or COI leadership team has already discussed the transition process, but if not here are some suggestions/questions to discuss in beginning this process:
For the CBs: Is the Chair a one or a two-year position? If your CB Chair is a one-year position, once the selection of the 2016 CB team is finalized, its first duty will be to select the new CB chair. With the new State Coordinating Body Training registration opening this month, it is important that the new Chair is decided as soon as possible so that he/she can register and attend the January 8-9, 2016 program in Chicago.
If your CB chair is a two-year term, then your group can move on to look at your other CB team member positions. Which team members are going to serve a consecutive term and which of the team members will be leaving? It’s important for continuity to have rotating positions, however, multiple consecutive terms are not encouraged for the entire CB team since you want to assure greater volunteer involvement across the state.
Once it is determined who is leaving your CB team and based on your method of CB representation (i.e., did each LNG send a representative or was there a call for volunteers from the entire state), you will follow this same procedure to fill to open positions. Please see page 15 of the MY AADE NETWORK Leadership Manual on the selection process for CB team members.
For the LNGs: The process is similar for the LNGs. Strive for a one to two-year positions as needed for the LNG leader and team members—while discouraging multiple consecutive terms for all positions to encourage greater volunteer opportunities. Please see page 24 of the MY AADE NETWORK Leadership Manual on the selection process for both LNG team members and team leaders.
For CB, LNG, and COI MY AADE NETWORK Administrators: We would encourage any group whose administrators are not planning to continue their duties in 2016, to begin mentoring another volunteer to assume this role as soon as possible. We offer recorded administrator training videos, but the one-to-one mentoring your current administrator can provide to a new volunteer is invaluable to having a smooth administrator transition!
For the COIs: Some COIs had previously selected a Chair-elect or a Leader-elect and therefore have someone to assume the 2016 leader position. If a Chair-elect is not in place, rather than having formal election and elected positions, the leadership should be selected from the current volunteers within a COI. Generally, the current leadership team, with assistance with AADE staff as requested, will identify and cultivate the new leaders. Please see page 13 of the Community of Interest Leadership Manual for more information.
We encourage you to make the “Transition Process for 2016 Leaders” one of the topics of your next leader team call or face to face meeting. And as always, Pati and I are ready to help you with questions.
Promoting the AADE Family
By: Kellie Antinori-Lent, 2015 Member Affiliates Liaison
Along with the change of seasons so to comes many regional Fall educational programs. As we make final preparations for the “big day”—gathering speaker PowerPoints, designing attendee handouts, selecting a savory and healthy menu, ensuring AV equipment support will be on hand—we should also remember to use the event (even small evening programs)—as an opportunity to promote our AADE family.
In other words, educational programs give us a chance to showcase our professional organization and all of the benefits of membership.
Just a few ideas about promoting membership:
- An AADE Display Table: If you program has vendor displays, don’t forget to set a table up for AADE! Have membership brochures available for attendees to take with them. Invite members along with CB/LNG leaders to staff the table to discuss membership with those who visit the table.
- Show Off MY AADE NETWORK: If you have wifi and a computer or tablet is available, show off AADE's online community by navigating through all the forums and resources. You will not want to forget to show potential members the list of free CE programs available online!
- Refer a Member Contest: Don’t forget to encourage members to participate in the “Refer a Member Contest!” Not all members are aware of the program so use education programs as a venue to spread the word.
- Retired Member Discount: Be sure our retired members are aware there is a discounted membership available for them. Have them contact AADE at (800)338-3633 for the current rate.
- Alternate Payment Method: If you cannot afford to pay the entire $165 all at once, a monthly installment plan ($13.75/month) is available. The monthly amount can be automatically deducted from your personal credit or debit card account.
As a very wise person once told me (not mentioning any names, Nadine Merker), “volunteer leaders are AADE’s best ambassadors to encourage non-members to join the organization. “ I couldn’t agree with her more.
Active Learner Engagement -- Strategies
By: Nancy Stonis, MJ, BSN, RN, AADE Practice Manager of Accreditation
Individuals attending education programs want to learn information in a fun, exciting way. Active learning is the current standard to engage learners in their own learning process.
A strong body of evidence supports the need for active learner engagement within continuing education. Learners who are more engaged are more likely to demonstrate gains in knowledge, skill and/or performance from participating in the educational activity. And, presenters (faculty) have the opportunity to collect data in real time from learners to help tailor the activity. For example, presenters (faculty) actively engaging learners through audience-response systems (ARS) or problem-based learning activities might find that learners are failing to grasp fundamental concepts of the education. Providers then have the opportunity to “course correct” and revise the activity to meet the specific learning needs of that group of learners.
The newly revised 2015 Accreditation criteria require that planners document methods used to actively engage learners within educational activities. Criteria do not prescribe specific methods for learner engagement as strategies will vary depending on the desired learning outcome(s), the format of the activity, and available resources. It is an area, however, that planners will need to consider for all educational activities provided.
Suggested strategies may include but are not limited to:
- Analyzing a case study
- Solving a problem – independently or in groups
- Responding to questions using an audience response system, raising colored cards, raising hands
- Participating in small group discussions
- Think, pair, share activities
- Opportunity for practice – return demonstration
- Self-check Q&A
- Incorporating social media platforms
- Role playing
There is no limit to the imagination! Get started now!
Save the Date: 2016 State Coordinating Body Training Program in Chicago. New Program and New Name!
Please mark your calendars for the day and a half CB Leader Training program scheduled for Friday, January 8 to Saturday, January 9, 2016 in Chicago.
We are excited to launch this new program (replaces the former annual Leadership Program) which will prepare newly elected volunteers in their roles as state Coordinating Body leaders by providing them with specific tools, information, and resources to use in working with their groups.
Power of the Get-To-Know-You Questions on Social Media
By: Chris Memering, RN, BSN, CDE, SANE-A, Inpatient Management COI
Hey all, and welcome back to a lot of you from AADE15! I don’t know about you, but I love the chance to get to the annual meeting. I always leave feeling refreshed and recharged, like I can take on the world, even though I may need new shoes to do it in (talk about a lot of walking). There were all sorts of great topics this year, from Gluten Free Diets to Food as Medicine, from Dr. Jane Jefferie Seley and Dr. Robert Rushakoff giving a master class on Inpatient Glycemic Management and getting everyone on the same page to a couple of great talks about hope for our patients in the advances or the artificial/bionic pancreas. And of course there were lots of talks about technology and the advances in health apps and how social media is playing a huge role in a lot of our patient’s lives in the form of information, but more importantly, support.
Recently, I got to witness some of this support first hand by participating and observing a twitter chat that happens every Wednesday night from 9-10pm EST set up by Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. DSMA is a program provided by the Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation. I think for a first go, it was a great chat. And bear with me, I’m gonna try and throw in the online lingo and help explain it.
The chat was about getting to know you. It started out with introductions: Name, Where you are from, Relationship to Diabetes, and Favorite TV Show. Sadly it took me way too long to remember that this is Friends (yes I went to college in the ‘90s). So then the Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) start tweeting back, tagging their message with #dsma. And the interactions start flying! Lots of People with Diabetes (PWD)T ype 1 & 2, Parents of kids with diabetes, I think I saw a few CDEs, and even @IowaAADE was participating. The tagging with #dsma, allow the ability to follow the conversation and have the responses all show up grouped in a search.
Then the questions start. And as this was a “get to know you” type conversation, they were really great. Here they are:
Q1: What do you think of when you hear water?
Q2: What do you think of when you hear the word exercise?
Q3: What do you think of when you hear the word love?
Q4: What do you think of when you hear the word unhappy?
Q5: What do you think of when you hear the word social?
Q6: What do you think of when you hear the word tired?
Q7: What do you think of when you hear the word chronic?
Q8: What do you think of when you hear the word courage?
Q9: What do you think of when you hear the word insurance?
Q10: What do you think of when you hear the word community?
The answers were so varied. It was great to see the openness and honesty that the community had, and they were all about diabetes. In fact, some people associated unhappy with anything bad happening to unicorns. You can only imagine the responses to “insurance”. One insurance company actually sent the person a paper saying “Diagnosis: Diabetes. You might know this as sugar diabetes.” Unreal!! There were interactions between people, small side conversations and words of encouragement to all. I got to "chat" with people I had met last week in real life (IRL) and it was great to continue to feel connected with them.
Each chat then ends with a call for closing thoughts. Mine was, “as a CDE, this was an awesome 1st #dsma to be in. Can’t wait to continue to gain perspective. On my calendar so I don’t forget. Stupid brain.” And people actually favorited my tweet and retweeted it. It’s nice to feel included. And for a lot of PWDs, this is where they are feeling included. I hope that anytime they see an educator, that they feel included there too.
I joined the #dsma twitter chat in the plans of being an observer, to help myself as an educator who does not have diabetes gain further perspective as to what my patients are experiencing. I was welcomed and glad that I joined into the conversation also. I think that this is another tool I can have to further myself as an educator.
If you are on Twitter, I encourage you to take a look. Check it out, Wednesday Nights from 9-10pm EST. The insight might amaze you.
Advocacy Volunteer Spoltlight: Sheila Harmon
By: Melissa Akinlawon, Advocacy Administrative Coordinator
For the past few months, the Advocacy Team at AADE has been taking a strategic approach in order to gain support on our federal legislative initiatives. Our primary focus is on gaining support from members of Congress on our federal bill—the
Access to Quality Diabetes Education Act of 2015 (H.R. 1726/ S. 1345).
This bipartisan bill will increase access to diabetes self-management training (DSMT) by designating diabetes educators as certified providers for purposes of outpatient DSMT services under part B of the Medicare program.
During AADE15 in New Orleans, LA, I formally met one of our members from the Illinois Coordinating Body – Sheila Harmon, MSN, RN, CDE, CNS. Shortly after the event concluded and everyone settled back into their daily routine, Sheila accompanied us to an in-person meeting with Representative Robin Kelly (IL-2nd) to discuss H.R. 1726 and encourage the Congresswoman to sign on as a co-sponsor.
In preparing for this one-on-one meeting, I invited Sheila to share her story, experiences, and impact as a diabetes educator and how this legislation could further support the care and service she provides to her patients. The actual conversation between Sheila and Rep. Kelly was truly the highlight of the meeting as the Congresswoman heard and learned firsthand the role of a diabetes educator and the impact they have on the diabetes community. As a result of this successful meeting, Rep. Kelly has signed on as a co-sponsor to H.R. 1726 and we have her full support in encouraging her colleagues to sign on as well.
Sheila’s involvement in AADE’s federal legislative initiatives is an example of the numerous ways in which a small moment of your time can have a huge impact on the future of diabetes education. Just like Sheila and other members of AADE, you can take action and let your voice be heard:
- Visit the online AADE Advocacy Action Center and send a letter to your Senator and Representative asking them to co-sponsor our bill, the Access to Quality Diabetes Education Act of 2015 (H.R. 1726/ S. 1345).
- Call the office of your Senator and Representative and ask for a meeting with the Congressman or a Health Legislative staffer. While in-person meetings are extremely effective, meetings can also be conducted by phone.
This is a critical time for our federal efforts, but we cannot be successful without your help. If you are like Sheila and interested in sharing your story to influence Congress to support our bill, please get in touch with me via email at makinlawon@aadenet.org. The AADE Advocacy Team have multiple resources on hand to guide you through our federal legislative initiatives for individuals and larger groups.
Let your voice BE HEARD—take ACTION today with AADE!
Tip From the Indiana Central LNG on Meeting the Quarterly Incentive
We asked winners of the Coordinating Body, Local Networking Groups, and Community of Interest Quarterly Incentive Contest, to provide us with some tips on how they worked to qualify.
Winner of the 2nd Quarter Local Networking Group Incentive, Indiana Central ADE leader, Tonya Somers, offered some guidance:
"Obtain a list serve email address, make sure it links to your AADE Network LNG discussion board, and send out mass emails, updates, etc to members via the list serve email. Our list serve email is linked to our LNG network discussion threads. Not sure if all LNGs have that link, but we do.
Our LNG has been communicating through the list serve email (job postings, CE opportunities, etc) for years. This all gets posted as thread discussions for people to view."
2016 CB and COI Leaders --Ready, Set, Go!
I know you are looking at the calendar and thinking &emdash; it’s barely September 2015 and they want to know if we have our 2016 Leaders ready to hit the ground running????!!!!
Well, it is only a few short months until the CB and COI 2016 Leaders need to begin their term.
While we are on the subject—just to be clear—The terms for CB and COI Leaders follow the National AADE BOD terms: January 1–December 31. Please be sure that your team is in place no later than January 1. If your team has changed already—please note that the current team will serve until December 31, 2016.
AADE will be requesting your leader information to be submitted in November so we will be able to update the MY AADE NETWORK State and COI pages by January 1.
As the manual and some forms are updated we will post the new information in the National Leaders Network so we want to be sure the new CB and COI Leaders have access to those documents.
Never hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
MY AADE NETWORK Admin Tip: Copy an Existing Event
It continues to be exciting to see the number of CBs and LNGs using online event registration with MY AADE NETWORK! We have seen many groups utilize MY AADE NETWORK to set up events successfully and seamlessly.
Did you know that you can copy over all of the information from a past event to a new event?
This could save you time in entering information that is mostly the same from last year’s programs. Here’s how admins can copy over a previous event:
- Go to your states home page
- Click on the burgundy button called ‘National Admins Network'
- Click ‘Create an Event’ on the right hand side
- Select the CB or LNG
- Click ‘Copy Event’
- Select from the drop down menu, which event you’d like to copy over
- Press ‘OK’ and your event has been duplicated
Feel free to edit the event to match the new information!
Remember, here are a few tips we would like to share to ensure your event displays all of the information you have available to potential registrants:
- If you haven’t had an opportunity to attend a training on setting up events, this is available as a recorded webinar that you can view at your convenience.
- When setting up your online registration, pay special attention to your marketing page setup, as this is the first page attendees will see when they click on a calendar item and want to register for your event.
- Make sure your online registration and include a cancellation policy, if you would like to set a deadline and/or fee for last minute cancellations. We can’t stress the importance of anticipating late cancellations enough—if the attendee has a last minute cancellation, it's important that each CB and LNG knows their own policy. For an example of AADE's annual meeting cancellation policy, please visit our website. Individual CBs and LNGs may borrow from the policy as they see appropriate as well seek guidance on this topic by reaching out to AADE.
If you need additional support setting up your MY AADE NETWORK event, need access to be able to setup events online, or have specific questions that aren’t addressed here, contact us at mynetwork@aadenet.org for help.
Diabetes Educators Make News with Eating Disorder, Monitoring and Being Active Messages
In the past weeks, diabetes educators have made headlines for the role they play in helping people with diabetes live healthy, active lives. As part of AADE’s Professional and Public Outreach Campaign, media interest in diabetes education climbed thanks in part to AADE15 and other diabetes education news:
- AADE15: Media coverage of AADE’s annual meeting brought attention to important issues such as eating disorders and benefits of blood sugar monitoring for people with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes educators and AADE members Lorraine Platka-Bird, PhD, RD, Marcia Meier, RN, CDE, and Dana Brackney, PhD, RN, CDE, BC-ADM, were featured in multiple outlets, including Doctor Radio on Sirius XM, Endocrine Today and Endocrine Web. Coverage of the meeting resulted in reaching nearly 7 million people, raising awareness of diabetes educators and AADE.
- Active Living and Diabetes: As an expert in diabetes and active living, AADE Executive Board Member Karen Kemmis, PT, CDE, is featured in an EveryDayHealth.com article about tips for people living with diabetes to get more activity. Karen discusses realistic ways to introduce activity into day-to-day life and the benefits of doing so.
These are just some of the examples of how the Professional and Public Outreach Campaign helps advance diabetes educators’ mission. Links to more media coverage are posted on AADE’s Facebook and Twitter pages. As a volunteer leader, please share the articles with your networks to help spread the news of all of the important work diabetes educators do. And, join AADE’s campaign to reach prescribers and people with diabetes by emailing aade@pcipr.com. You’ll receive free brochures and access to other campaign materials.