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Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists

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A New Name Reflects a New Vision

The repositioning of the specialty is an outgrowth of our multi-year initiative to position diabetes care and education specialists for success, elevating their role as integrators for clinical management, education, prevention and support.  

In January 2020, the Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) became the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) and diabetes educator became diabetes care and education specialist. Read more about the research process that brought us this decision.  

This change was designed to more accurately reflect both the clinical and self-management aspects of the care you provide. For the past several years, we've been actively promoting this change and elevation of your title. We know many of you have also done so but likely not everyone. If you haven't already, you can take these action steps:  

  1. Update your title wherever it appears. This includes email signatures, signage, business cards, your website and any social media channels. This includes changing CDE to CDCES.
     
  2. Review your skillset and ensure you are working at the top of your scope. ADCES has created self-assessment worksheets in our Roadmap for the Profession Page to help you identify and address gaps in knowledge and opportunities to fully step into this role.
      
  3. Spread the word. Communicate your value to area primary care offices, your health system leadership and colleagues. See our "Showcasing Your Value" Toolkit.

We must ensure that everyone knows your role as a core member of the larger care team, offering care that positively impacts quality and cost, and enhances the experience for both the person with diabetes and the provider. 

Our Inspiration:

There you are. On the forefront.
Understanding. Preventing. Treating.

There’s a person with diabetes, right beside you.
Empowered. Encouraged. Energized.

And there we are, an evidence-based organization helping you stay on the leading edge. Researching, educating and facilitating a shared purpose and a singular focus, so that together we can foster a person-centered world where thriving is a way of life.

There we are, helping you connect with like-minded leaders, prove your value and create a circle of wellbeing that inspires not just our organization and persons with diabetes, but the future of an entire specialty.

There we are, observing, as individuals who are no longer defined by diabetes but instead by an optimism that says yes, I will live a longer, fuller life than I ever thought possible because you cared enough to lead, so that my best outcomes could follow.


An Ongoing Process

Accompanying this new vision for the specialty is a commitment to provide all diabetes care and education specialists with enhanced education and training opportunities, new practice guidance and supporting advocacy. We recommend all diabetes care and education specialists do the following: 

Adopt a population health mindset. It’s a model of care that effectively integrates the clinical and self-management, and where health care is headed. 

Become tech proficient. Through our technology website and member-only benefit, danatech.org, you can become an expert at diabetes technologies and data interpretation. Danatech offers a wide variety of online courses, free certificate programs, podcasts and product demos on CGM devices, digital health platforms, insulin and medication delivery devices, pumps and apps. 

Demonstrate your expertise within the full range of cardiometabolic conditions: hypertension, obesity, prediabetes, diabetes and cardiac disorders. We’re placing an increased focus on reinforcing knowledge and skills you already have while building new ones. 

Increase your focus on behavioral and mental health. As a central touchpoint for individualized care, it’s imperative that diabetes care and education specialists assess the mental and behavioral health of clients and refer to a mental health provider when appropriate. While you can’t effectively address all aspects of behavioral health, there are many ways to integrate it into your practice. 

Offer care that is person-centered and inclusive. Diabetes care and education specialists are already known for this, but who couldn’t receive a refresher now and then. T

Promote your role as core to achieving the Quadruple Aim. We know that DSMES improves outcomes but does everyone? Join us as we work to spread the word at the national level through partnerships with allied organizations, conversations with healthcare decision makers, media outreach, and legislative and regulatory fixes. 

Join us as we expand your role and impact.

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