Download

Free Med Pocket Cards

Earth Blessing

Today’s blog provides a moment to pause and acknowledge the pain that the earth and many of us are experiencing from fires, the pandemic and intense weather events. I want to share this blessing with our community and let you know that you are important and treasured.
With affection, Coach Beverly

We Hold the Earth

We hold our brothers and sisters who suffer from fires, illness, extreme weather events and droughts.

We hold all species that suffer.

We hold world leaders to make decisions that support healing of the planet and all its inhabitants.

We pray that the web of life may be mended through courageous actions starting today.

We pray for social justice, empathy and awakening to help our already suffering earth community.

We pray that love and wisdom might inspire my actions and our actions as communities. . .

so that we may, with integrity, look into the eyes of brothers and sisters and all beings and truthfully say, we are doing our part to care for them and the future of the children.

May love transform us and our world with new steps toward life.

Adapted from Innovation Institute Earth Day Blessing

Coach Bev’s Diabetes Cheat Sheets

We know that a great resource page full of accurate and helpful cheat sheets can save busy diabetes specialists time and energy.

That’s why we have put together our entire list of cheat sheets so you can access them with ease.

These sheets and cards include information to study for certification exams and to use in your clinical setting. Plus, we have included teaching sheets for people with diabetes.


Our Summer 2020 Boot Camp begins September 16th!

In each webinar, either Coach Beverly, Dr. Isaacs, or Ms. Armstrong, highlight the critical content of each topic area, so you can focus your study time most efficiently. They also launch multiple poll questions to help participants focus on key concepts and assess their knowledge while learning the best test-taking strategies. 

2020 Boot Camp Live Stream Webinar Schedule with Coach Beverly

All courses air at 11:30 a.m. (PST)

  1. Diabetes – Not Just Hyperglycemia | Sept 16
  2. ADA Standards of Care | Sept 23
  3. Insulin Therapy – From Basal/Bolus to Pattern Management | Sept 30
  4. Insulin Intensive – Monitoring, Sick Days, Lower Extremities | Oct 7
  5. Meds for Type 2 | Oct 14
  6. Exercise and Preventing Microvascular Complications | Oct 21
  7. Coping & Behavior Change | Oct 28
  8. “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp | Nov 4

Can’t make it live?
No worries! All video presentations and podcasts will be available now on-demand.


Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]

Rationale of the Week | BC-ADM vs. CDCES?

Our August 18th Question of the week quizzed test takers on the difference between a CDCES and BC-ADM. Although 54% of respondents chose the correct answer, 46% did not. We thought that this was an important topic to discuss further, so we can pass on correct info to people living with diabetes.

Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer below: Answer Question

Question: What best describes the difference between a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) and a person Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM)?

Answer Choices:

  1. BC-ADMs are responsible for increased complexity in decision making.
  2. A bachelor’s degree or higher is required to obtain a CDCES.
  3. The main difference is that BC-ADM’s prescribe medications based on the diagnosis.
  4. With an advanced degree, BC-ADM’s are qualified to set up an independent practice.

As shown above, the most common choice was option 1, the second most common answer was option 4, then option 3, and finally option 2.


Interested in achieving your CDCES or BC-ADM? Click here to get started.


Getting to the Best Answer

If you are thinking about taking the certification exam, this practice test question will set you up for success. Test writers anticipate possible answers based on the details in the question. They will wave those “juicy answers” right under your nose. Your job is to weed through the particulars, pluck out the most important elements and choose the BEST answer. And remember, sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer.

Answer 1 is correct. 54% chose this answer. “BC-ADMs are responsible for increased complexity in decision making.”

According to the ADCES website:

“The BC-ADM skillfully manages complex patient needs and assists patients with therapeutic problem-solving. Within their discipline’s scope of -practice, healthcare professionals who hold the BC-ADM certification adjust medications, treat and monitor acute and chronic complications and other comorbidities, counsel patients on lifestyle modifications, address psychosocial issues, and participate in research and mentoring.”

Answer 2 is incorrect. 8% of you chose this answer. “A bachelor’s degree or higher is required to obtain a CDCES.”

Eligibility to take the exam is based on licensure, registration, or certification. According to the CDCES website, the following health care professionals meet the discipline requirement.

  • Clinical psychologist
  • Occupational therapist
  • Optometrist
  • Pharmacist
  • Physical therapist
  • Physician (M.D. or D.O.)
  • Podiatrist
  • Registered nurse (includes nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists)
  • Dietitian or dietitian nutritionist holding active registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration
  • PA holding active registration with the NCCPA
  • Exercise physiologist holding active certification as an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP®)
  • Health educator holding active certification as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing
  • Master’s degree in social work

Answer 3 is incorrect. About 19% of respondents chose this. “The main difference is that BC-ADM’s prescribe medications based on the diagnosis”.

The BC-ADM is a certification exam and it does not confer prescriptive authority. Only those with certain licenses can prescribe medications, and the regulations can vary from state to state. For example, I am a Registered Nurse with a Masters in Public Health. I also have my CDCES and BC-ADM. As a licensed RN, I do not have prescriptive authority. Certification does not change your scope of practice and can come from different organizations. Licensure comes from governmental authority.

Finally, Answer 4 is incorrect. 19% chose this answer. “With an advanced degree, BC-ADM’s are qualified to set up an independent practice.”

This is a juicy answer but is not correct. Let’s say I want to set up shop as a Registered Nurse with a Masters in Public Health. I also have my CDCES and BC-ADM. Even with my BC-ADM, I couldn’t bill for services, and under whose oversight would I see people with diabetes and make treatment recommendations?

Again, it’s not the BC-ADM that creates the opportunity to set up an independent practice. As a licensed RN, I can’t set up an independent practice and bill for my services in my state. Certification does not change your scope of practice and can come from different organizations. Each state’s licensure and scope of practice regulations come from a governmental authority. We must practice within the legal parameters of our scope of practice based on licensure.


Interested in achieving your CDCES or BC-ADM?
Click here to get started.


We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Question of the Week and participate in this fun learning activity!


Studying for the CDCES or BC-ADM exams?
Our Summer 2020 Certification Boot Camp begins September 16th!

In each webinar, either Coach Beverly, Dr. Isaacs, or Ms. Armstrong, highlight the critical content of each topic area, so you can focus your study time most efficiently. They also launch multiple poll questions to help participants focus on key concepts and assess their knowledge while learning the best test-taking strategies. 

2020 Boot Camp Live Stream Webinar Schedule with Coach Beverly

All courses air at 11:30 a.m. (PST)

  1. Diabetes – Not Just Hyperglycemia | Sept 16
  2. ADA Standards of Care | Sept 23
  3. Insulin Therapy – From Basal/Bolus to Pattern Management | Sept 30
  4. Insulin Intensive – Monitoring, Sick Days, Lower Extremities | Oct 7
  5. Meds for Type 2 | Oct 14
  6. Exercise and Preventing Microvascular Complications | Oct 21
  7. Coping & Behavior Change | Oct 28
  8. “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp | Nov 4

Can’t make it live?
No worries! All video presentations and podcasts will be available now on-demand.


Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]

Question of the Week | September 8, 2020

AJ takes 85 units of basaglar at bedtime and 10 -12 units of glulisine (Apridra) at meals, plus metformin and empagliflozin at maximum dose.  Fasting blood sugars are 130 or greater and the rest of the day, AJs blood sugars are in the 200s. AJ has a BMI of 32 and an A1c of 9.3%.  The diabetes specialist recommends adding semaglutide (Ozempic) 0.5 mg to the regimen. 

What teaching information is most important given the addition of this new medication?

  1. Report any muscle pain immediately
  2. Semaglutide needs to be injected before eating
  3. Make sure to evaluate liver enzymes after 3 months
  4. Signs of hypoglycemia and appropriate action

Click here to test your knowledge!


Our Summer 2020 Boot Camp begins September 16th!

In each webinar, either Coach Beverly, Dr. Isaacs, or Ms. Armstrong, highlight the critical content of each topic area, so you can focus your study time most efficiently. They also launch multiple poll questions to help participants focus on key concepts and assess their knowledge while learning the best test-taking strategies. 

2020 Boot Camp Live Stream Webinar Schedule with Coach Beverly

All courses air at 11:30 a.m. (PST)

  1. Diabetes – Not Just Hyperglycemia | Sept 16
  2. ADA Standards of Care | Sept 23
  3. Insulin Therapy – From Basal/Bolus to Pattern Management | Sept 30
  4. Insulin Intensive – Monitoring, Sick Days, Lower Extremities | Oct 7
  5. Meds for Type 2 | Oct 14
  6. Exercise and Preventing Microvascular Complications | Oct 21
  7. Coping & Behavior Change | Oct 28
  8. “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp | Nov 4

Can’t make it live?
No worries! All video presentations and podcasts will be available now on-demand.


Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]

Labor Day Sale | Save 15%

For one day only, we are offering 15% off our entire Online Store to celebrate Labor Day and offer a gift to our community.

Click here to SAVE 15%

Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

September Newsletter | New Online Scholarship, Liver Disease, CGM Update

Click to view the September Newsletter

What a year!

Thank you everyone for your support as I shared my adventure of moving my oldest son into his Texas college dorm two weeks ago. He is thriving and excited to live away from home, hang out with other students (while wearing a mask) and attend a combination of virtual and live classroom instruction. My 15-year-old son, Jackson, has stepped into Robert’s role at our company and is doing a great job fulfilling orders and working on special projects.

A special shout out of recognition to all of you who are juggling homeschooling, new working situations, and your lives. This is a tough time for all of us and I miss seeing all of you!

Speaking of virtual instruction, we have great news to share. Our DiabetesEd Boot Camp starts on Sept 16th. We can’t wait to join together with you in the community again as we hunker down to prepare for certification exams. 

We are excited to announce that we are offering two Online University Scholarships for diabetes advocates that are “Making a Difference” in their community. Please share it with your colleagues and friends.

In addition, this newsletter explores the importance of promptly recognizing the liver disease and the cost-saving benefits of CGM technology.

Lastly, we love providing our customers with easy-to-find resources, so we put all our most popular Cheat Sheets on one Resource Page for fast access.

During this time of uncertainty and financial hardships, we will be offering frequent discounts. It’s our way of saying thank you with a virtual hug of appreciation.

Warmest regards,

Coach Beverly, Bryanna, and Jackson


Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

CGMs Lead to Cost Savings

For people with type 1 diabetes, access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology, is considered a standard of care by most experts.

There is plenty of research that demonstrates CGM use is associated with not only improved A1c but significantly decreases time in hypoglycemic range and ketoacidosis rates.

Researchers wondered if this translates into cost savings?

YES.
According to a study presented at the Heart in Diabetes virtual meeting.

After three years of follow-up, the savings were substantial.

  • Multiple daily injection plus CGM users saved between $5,777 and $8,549.
  • CGM users with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion saved between $2,732 and $4,753 per person, compared with non-CGM users.

“In this study, we showed that it didn’t make any difference how you deliver insulin,” Grunberger said. “This difference is in how you monitor glucose.”

George Grunberger, MD, FACP, MACE, Chairman Grunberger Diabetes Institute and more

Glucose Crises are Expensive

According to Grunberger, the cost of diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) in the U.S. is over 5 billion dollars a year.

Having a CGM reduces DKA rates, hospitalization, and leads to cost savings.

A study in the United Kingdom showed that for 900 people using the Freestyle Libre (Abbott), DKA episodes were reduced by 80% within six months of using this device.

A study in Belgium followed 1,913 people with type 1 diabetes using the Freestyle Libre CGM.

Not only did they see a dramatic reduction in hospitalizations from DKA and hypoglycemia, but the researchers also observed a fifty percent drop in work absenteeism.

The data shows CGM’s are associated with cost savings due to less diabetes emergencies and decreased work absenteeism.

Full Story: Healio (free registration)/Endocrine Today (8/31) 


Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]

Question of the Week | Sept 1 | Cancer and Diabetes

LS is a 49-year-old with type 2 diabetes and an A1c of 8.9%.  LS has a BMI of 38 with recently discovered steatohepatitis.

Considering the relationship between diabetes and cancer, which of the following statements are true?

  1. LS has a slightly decreased risk of liver cancer.
  2. Start LS on a SGLT-2 since it will prevent further liver damage.
  3. Refer LS to a diabetes specialist to assist with lifestyle changes.
  4. Avoid starting a GLP-1 Receptor Agonists until ALT and AST are negative.

Click here to test your knowledge!


Want more practice?
Join us live on September 9th at 11:30 AM (PST)
for our
Cancer & Diabetes Webinar | Level 4 – Advanced Level | 1.5 CEs

Patients with cancer often experience hyperglycemia secondary to treatment, which can increase risk of infection and compromise their nutritional status. In addition, recent research has identified the link between diabetes and cancer. Join us to learn more about this unexpected link and treatment strategies for steroid-induced hyperglycemia using a case study approach. 

Topics Include:

  • Discuss the relationship between cancer, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.
  • State 3 benefits of normalizing glucose levels during chemotherapy.
  • Using a case study approach, discuss strategies to improve glucose levels and quality of life.

Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]


AccreditationDiabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*  

The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]