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Greetings, wonderful healthcare colleagues! I attended my first Food and Nutrition Conference Expo (FNCE) last month in San Antonio, Texas, where over 8000 nutrition experts networked, enjoyed sessions, and shared their enthusiasm for promoting health through nutrition. Dozens of CDCES and BC-ADM dietitians stopped by to sign our “I DID IT’ sign and share their gratitude for our exam prep courses (see more pictures below). I am grateful for all the connections and hugs! Looking forward to D.C. in 2027!
November is our call to raise awareness about diabetes, and we want to help get the ball rolling with this list of our favorite FREE diabetes resources in English and Spanish. Feel free to share this information with your colleagues and community members.
Continued below…
Addressing prediabetes and diabetes is a big deal. About 16% of American adults—nearly 1 in 6—are living with diabetes, and 2 in 5 adults are living with prediabetes, according to the latest data from the CDC. Early access to knowledge, resources, and supportive environments can profoundly impact prevention, diagnosis, and daily diabetes management.
Nutrition expert Christine Craig, MS, RDN, CDCES, highlights the importance of using screening tools coupled with careful assessment to determine if the people in our care are struggling with eating disorders.
Exciting News. After a rigorous review, the CBDCE has recognized our CDCES Exam Prep Bundle. Read more below.
Lastly, to help everyone feel their best this holiday season, we are sharing our popular handouts, “Ten Strategies to Survive the Holidays,” as well as our “Keeping Healthy” Cheat Sheets.
We hope you can join our FREE webinars celebrating National Diabetes Month. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing dedication to improving diabetes care.
With hearts full of gratitude,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Ashlie, and Katarina
In this 1-hour and 15-minute program. Dr. Marie Frazzitta, DNP, FNP‑C, PMHNP, CDCES, MBA, explores how national quality initiatives are modernizing diabetes metrics, including the integration of CGM-derived indicators and the upcoming measure that will track CGM adoption. We’ll also highlight the operational realities of digital reporting and show how DCESs can leverage these trends to expand their impact, strengthen care equity, and become strategic partners in quality improvement and population health. Save your Seat Today!
Join us on November 13th at 11:30 AM PST!
According to the latest CDC Data, over 16% of Americans are living with diabetes and 38% have prediabetes. This means about half of our communities are living with hyperglycemia.
Advocacy and education play essential roles in diabetes care and prevention. By equipping individuals with knowledge about diabetes management, healthy lifestyle choices, and preventative measures, we empower them to take ownership of their health and inspire change within their communities.
We have put together a list of FREE Webinars and diabetes resources in English and Spanish to share with people living with prediabetes and diabetes. Thank you for your advocacy and belief that we can make a difference.
ADA’s Diabetes Food Hub – English and Spanish! Web site filled with information on healthy eating and an abundance of delicious recipes.
ADA Resources in Spanish – this newly opened information hub is perfect for those who prefer to learn and read in Spanish.
ADA’s FREE Life with Diabetes Program: ADA’s program includes six digital, printable journeys to teach how to live well with diabetes; a monthly e-newsletter with tips, stories, and more resources; six free issues of the Diabetes Forecast® magazine; access to an online community and local events. (The program is available in both English and Spanish).
ADA’s Risk Quiz: 60-second online risk assessment for type 2 diabetes. ADA created a self-assessment and a version to fill out the assessment for others. There’s also a printable version in English & Spanish that can be distributed to help ascertain risk. This is a great first step in helping individuals consider coming in for an appointment
CDC Diabetes Prevention Program Curricula and Handouts This site offers excellent resources for those interested in offering Diabetes Prevention Education in English and Spanish.
National Diabetes Education Program is an online library of resources compiled by the NDEP to help provide accurate information and support for people living with prediabetes and diabetes.
Spanish Language Resources: language can be a barrier to adequate and quality care. ADCES has created a number of free downloads for people with diabetes and prediabetes, which have been translated into Spanish.
Type 1 Diabetes Resource Page – Includes is a list of helpful online resources for Type 1 Diabetes. It include sites for national organizations like the American Diabetes Association (ADA), sites for diabetes interest groups, and other participant organizations that provide helpful diabetes tips and opportunities to join online groups.
Panther Diabetes Technology Deciphered. Get to the gist of what you need to know. Essential resources and guidance for health care professionals working with diabetes technology.
DiabetesWisePro for Clinicians A non-biased web site for health care professionals that has a quick tool to access insurance coverage information, how to order devices, what to include and where to go for support.
DiabetesWise A non-biased website that helps people with diabetes learn about different diabetes devices and determine the best match for their needs
Cheat Sheets: We have assembled an abundance of helpful diabetes education cheat sheets for healthcare professionals and those living with diabetes. Feel free to print and share!
Community-centered education can be incredibly powerful—when people feel informed and supported, they’re more likely to make meaningful changes and encourage others to do the same. This creates a ripple effect, fostering healthier communities and potentially reducing the prevalence of diabetes over time.
Wear blue: Wear blue on World Diabetes Day (November 14th) and throughout the month. You can also display a blue circle symbol in your window.
Participate in events: Join a Global Diabetes Walk or create your own. Support local chapter events hosted by organizations like the American Diabetes Association or Breakthrough T1D.
Host an event: Organize a fundraising event like a farm fresh sale or car wash, or host an educational session like a “Lunch and Learn” with a local expert.
Spread the word: Share educational content, personal stories, and facts about diabetes on social media, You can also share information via email or newsletters.
Post the Diabetes Risk test: Post the American Diabetes Association Risk Test ADA’s Risk Quiz: in your organization’s or community’s newsletter.
Learn the Steps and Qualifications to become a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist.
Join Coach Bev for this FREE Webinar!
Nov 19th at 11:30 AM PST
The holiday season can bring joy—but also stress, disrupted routines, late nights, and rich meals that may affect blood glucose levels and emotional well-being. For people with diabetes, this time of year can stir feelings of concern and distress, especially if glucose levels veer outside their usual target range.
To provide a little boost of support, we’ve created two helpful resources:
🎁 Holiday Survival Guide – Download
This handout offers 10 practical strategies to survive the holidays and helpful tools to navigate different situations. This is one of our most popular cheat sheets, so please feel free to share it with your colleagues and the people in your care.
Keeping Healthy with Diabetes – Download
This 2 sided empowerment teaching sheet summarizes the goals of care and healthy living strategies for people living with diabetes.
These printable Cheat Sheets are designed for easy sharing with your friends, clients, and colleagues. Feel free to distribute widely—they’re full of tips to promote self-compassion, support balanced choices, and bring more ease to the season.
1. Be a sleep warrior – People living in the United States are chronically underslept. Not getting enough sleep is associated with increased hunger, higher blood sugars, poor concentration, frequent illness, and impaired problem-solving. Make sure to give yourself the gift of at least 7 hours of sleep a night. This sleep will help you make the best choices for your health and will protect against illness and fatigue. You got this.
Goal: Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. You deserve it.
2. Keep active – Holidays can put our exercise plans to the test, but we have a few ideas for you. Take an after-meal stroll instead of plopping on the couch. After meal walks lower post-meal blood sugars and increases energy by getting muscles activated. Just 10 minutes of walking after meals can make a big difference. You can even put music on and have a small dance session, anything to get your body moving.
Goal: Work toward 30 minutes of activity a day.
3. Don’t forget the Fiber – With all the snacks and tempting foods, whole healthy foods may take a back seat. Enjoy the abundance of seasonal vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains that are fiber-rich and that decrease inflammation. Examples include; yams, squash, mandarin oranges, almonds, pistachios, quinoa, kale, brown rice, warm oatmeal, salads, and broth-based soups.
Goal: Strive to eat at least 25gms of fiber a day.
4. Enjoy the ultimate beverage – H20. Water is the perfect way to keep hydrated, replenished, and keeps appetite in check. Add a splash of flavor with a jigger of fruit juice or fresh cucumbers, lime slices, or a sprig of rosemary. Be creative. Sparkling waters come in a vast variety of flavors, are calorie-free, and contain no artificial sweeteners.
Goal: Keep hydrated by enjoying plenty of water.
5. Keep an eye on alcohol – While it’s true that red wine offers a beneficial anti-inflammatory compound called resveratrol, drinking too much alcohol can lead to unintended outcomes. Studies show that we make poorer food choices if alcohol is on board. This can offer special challenges in party settings, where temptations are abundant. A drink of alcohol contains about 100 calories and mixed drinks have even more. In addition, alcohol can lead to low blood sugars, especially for those taking insulin or sulfonylureas.
Goal: Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men.
6. You are already sweet enough – Holidays and sugar go hand in hand. If possible, try and eat less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar (does not include natural sugars found in fruit and milk). This goal may not be realistic on all days, but aim for success most of the time. Excess sugar intake can cause inflammation and buildup of fat in the liver. One strategy is to limit sugar intake during the day and save your 6 teaspoons for that special dessert or parties. When looking at labels, it is helpful to know that 1 teaspoon equals 4 gms of sugar.
Goal: Limit sugar to 6 teaspoons a day.
7. Your teeth need extra special attention – Taking care of our teeth and gums improves health. Gum inflammation is associated with blood vessel inflammation. Swollen gums can also lead to an increase in blood sugars. During the holidays, find time for regular oral hygiene. Your mouth (and dental team) will thank you.
Goal: Brush teeth at twice daily and floss at least once daily.
8. Keep connected to friends and family who love you just the way you are! – As enjoyable as holidays can be, reuniting with family can also cause stress and stir-up emotions. Feeling out of sorts can lead to stress eating and decrease self-care. If possible, reach out to a trusted friend to share your feelings or keep a holiday journal. Consider bringing a favorite book along during your travels that you find inspiring and comforting. Give yourself permission to steal away for some quiet time.
Goal: Self-care is important during the holidays.
9. Enjoy an Oxygen Cocktail – Studies show that when humans venture into natural outdoor settings, heart rate and blood pressure improve. Take a moment to appreciate the feeling of the air on your skin, take a deep breath of fresh air, try to find nests in leafless trees, listen to the animal sounds and bird songs and just enjoy that moment.
Goal: Step into nature daily.
10. Take inventory of things that you are grateful for – Find a moment each day to reflect on a few things that brought you joy or good feelings. Maybe it was your cousin who lent you her favorite sweater. Or an Aunt who gave you the best hug. Special moments with a best friend or an after-dinner walk enjoying the fall leaves. These small moments of connection and beauty are one of the most treasured gifts of the holiday season that linger in our hearts and memory long after we say our goodbyes.
Goal: Take note of special moments.
Author: Christine Craig, MS, RDN, CDCES
Founder: Nutrition for Daily Living
Physical activity can support diabetes management and cardiometabolic health, but fewer than one in four American adults achieve physical activity recommendations, and people with diabetes report consistently lower physical activity than people without diabetes.1 Simply educating on recommendations or setting a weekly activity target does not address individual factors that influence implementation.
A recent 2026 scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA)2 reintroduced the 5As (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, and Arrange) as a structured approach to support behavior change. This framework originated in the 1990s to target tobacco cessation and, over time, was adapted for chronic disease self-management.
It evolved from a more directive approach to emphasize shared decision-making and patient-centered goal setting. Today, this approach is used across lifestyle and chronic disease care, including nutrition, obesity, and physical activity counseling. Its goal is to move beyond education to shared decision-making, individualized goal setting, problem-solving, self-management, and ongoing support.2
Before prescribing more physical activity and exercise, first learn what activity looks like in the individual’s real life. What is the individual’s intention and knowledge about movement? Using open-ended questions, ask about current activity, sedentary time, daily routines, previous experiences with exercise and movement, physical limitations, and access to safe places to move. The goal is to understand both where the person is starting and what may influence their willingness and ability to change.5 Example prompts may include: “It sounds like you are open to being more active. Do you have an idea of how you might incorporate regular activity into your day?” or “Is there something that has worked for you in the past?”2 This approach may help identify readiness, preferences, and potential barriers.2 The ADA also recommends assessing baseline physical activity and sedentary time for people with diabetes and encouraging those who are not meeting activity recommendations to increase movement above their baseline.3
As diabetes care providers, we are skilled at understanding evidence-based guidelines while also focusing on the individual’s priorities and abilities. Ask permission to share information and connect information and recommendations to the person’s goals and assessed needs. An example prompt may include: “You want to exercise 3 days a week but feel like you are tight on time. Would you be interested in hearing how others have included some physical activity into their busy schedule?”2. Using this approach, can provide evidence-based guidance while respecting the individual’s priorities, readiness, and preferences.
Collaborate with the person to establish a realistic SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). The goal should reflect what the person is willing and able to do, rather than a specific guideline target.5 Collaborate on creating a smart goal and reflect interests: “Joining an exercise group in the community sounds like it interests you, do you know of a specific community group that you will join?” “Do you know how often they meet?”2. Starting below the recommended physical activity guidelines2,3,4 can be a meaningful step, particularly for someone who is currently inactive.4
Anticipation of barriers, problem-solving challenges, and identifying resources can make the plan more achievable. The AHA and ADA both recommend considering social context and using supportive, problem-solving approaches.5 For people with diabetes, also consider how physical activity may affect glucose levels, medication needs, and other health concerns.4 When additional barriers are identified, consider referral to an appropriate care provider, exercise professional, physical therapist, or community-based program.
Finally, establish a follow-up plan and continued support. Physical activity changes with health status, work, family responsibilities, access, and other life circumstances, so view the initial plan as a starting point. At follow-up, ask what worked, what was difficult, and what the person wants to change.5 Reinforce all progress and confidence in the plan, which includes the health behavior change and not just clinical outcomes. The AHA recommends incorporating follow-up visits, technology, team-based care models, and community resources, if appropriate, to promote sustained behavior change.5
Although the 5 A’s approach is not yet integrated into diabetes management standards of care, it reflects many of the same principles as current guidelines: assessing activity, setting individualized goals, addressing barriers, and providing follow-up.1,2,4,5
While the ADA provides guidelines for physical activity in individuals with diabetes, the 5As offers a framework for translating those recommendations into individualized action. By prioritizing shared decision-making, realistic goals, problem-solving, and ongoing support, the 5As can help diabetes care and education specialists support individuals in incorporating more movement into their daily lives.
Christine Craig, MS, RDN, CDCES
Founder: Nutrition for Daily Living and a member of our Expert Presentation team at the DiabetesEd Training in San Diego.
The Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) highlights your clinical decision-making and advanced management skills in diabetes care. Earning your BC-ADM is an ideal way to showcase your ability to manage the complex needs of people living with diabetes.
Preparing for the exam?
Master the content with our structured study pathway built for your success.
Are You Eligible?
To qualify to take the BC-ADM in 2026, you need to meet these two requirements (read Bev’s blog on eligibility changes coming in 2027).
I’m getting to the age when people occasionally ask me, “So, how much longer are you going to work?”
Ouch.
I pat down my ruffled feathers, smile, and remind them that some of the world’s most influential leaders have stepped into their greatest roles later in life.
And at 63, I feel like I’m just getting warmed up.
I am the best version of myself—clear-headed, comfortable in my own skin, and genuinely excited about the future. Sure, I have a few health challenges (like so many of us), but I refuse to let them dampen my joie de vivre or my enthusiasm for the work I love.
After more than 30 years in diabetes education, I remain fiercely passionate about helping healthcare professionals grow their knowledge, achieve certification, and reaffirm the joy and purpose in the work they do.
Leading my company sometimes feels like running Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for diabetes education. Me and Bryanna get to dream up the next great idea, sprinkle in some creativity, mix it with evidence-based science—and then make it happen.
Recently, I heard a longevity expert, Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, say that two secrets to a longer life are to keep working and eat ice cream.
Now that is a wellness plan I can get behind.
So, retirement? Not yet.
Over the next decade, I want to do more of what brings me the greatest joy: traveling, teaching, and connecting with healthcare professionals—live and in person.
I have a whole library of presentations ready to go, from the latest advances in diabetes care to Healing through Connection, provider well-being, certification success, and bringing more joy and creativity into healthcare. And if your organization has a topic or challenge you’d like addressed, I’d love to create something especially for your team.
If you’re looking for an experienced speaker who brings evidence-based science, practical wisdom, humor, heart, and a little unexpected fun to the stage—send me an invitation.
I’m ready to pack my purple shoes and come see you. 💜
With hearts full of gratitude,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Ashlie, and Katarina
“What can I say other than it was impressive. The ADA SOC review was well presented. The enthusiasm was simply delightful.”
If you didn’t have the chance to join Coach Beverly’s LIVE presentation of the Standards, now is your chance. As busy healthcare professionals, we understand you may not have time to read all 350+ pages of the ADA Standards. We have a solution. Join Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM for an in-depth exploration of all 16 ADA Standards of Care. This painless process will keep you up-to-date, plus you earn CE’s and fulfill your Standards of Care Requirement.
You don’t want to miss this course taught by two experts in the field:
William Polonsky, PhD, CDCES, and Susan Guzman!
It’s taking place in beautiful San Diego on Saturday, October 24th, the same week as our DiabetesEd Live Seminar on Oct 22-23 (read more below).
Sign up for both – save on travel and get diabetes re-energized!
See you there 🧢 Coach Beverly
Invite Coach Beverly!
Keynotes | CE Courses | Worksite Training | Cert. Prep
Founder & CEO of DiabetesEd Services
Looking for a speaker who can deliver evidence-based diabetes education with energy, heart, and a dose of fun?
Invite Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM (Coach Beverly) to your next conference, healthcare meeting, or professional education event. Coach Beverly loves teaching in person, connecting with healthcare professionals, and transforming complex diabetes science into practical strategies clinicians can use right away.
Whether you are looking for an inspiring 60–90 minute keynote or an immersive full-day diabetes training, Coach Beverly can customize the experience for your audience.
Keynote Presentations
CE Courses
Worksite Training
Certification Prep
Original Pricing: Starting at $449
New Pricing: Starting at $399
Original Pricing: Starting at $459
New Pricing: Starting at $399
Original Pricing: Starting at $519
New Pricing: Starting at $499
Beverly teaches over 30 Courses in our Online University. Click here to see a listing of other potential topics!
With decades of experience as a diabetes nurse specialist, educator, author, and national speaker, Coach Beverly brings together science, clinical expertise, storytelling, humor, and heart to create learning experiences healthcare professionals remember long after the presentation ends.
Did you know that YOU are practicing in a healthcare system where the traditional fee for service model is giving way to value-based diabetes care, and how essential YOU are in that shift?
As a diabetes professional, you will want to keep up to date on this upheaval of traditional models of care. You have the opportunity to take a leadership role and demonstrate your worth.
Healthcare is changing, and it is changing quickly. Terms like digital quality measures (dQMs), HEDIS®, STAR Ratings, interoperability, value-based contracting, artificial intelligence, and digital health technology are appearing more frequently in healthcare conversations.
While some of these concepts may seem far removed from day-to-day diabetes education, they are increasingly influencing how healthcare is delivered, measured, and reimbursed.
Today’s diabetes technologies such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), connected insulin delivery systems, and digital apps generate rich patient data that support chronic disease management and contribute to digital quality reporting. For diabetes care and education specialists (DCESs), understanding these trends is becoming more than simply staying current. It is about recognizing how our profession can continue to grow and demonstrate value within an evolving healthcare system.
Healthcare is shifting because the current system is increasingly unsustainable. Costs continue to rise, outcomes remain uneven, and clinicians face growing administrative and reporting burdens that take time away from patient care. As a result, the United States healthcare system is moving from a fee for service model that rewards volume to one that emphasizes quality, outcomes, patient experience, and cost effectiveness. This shift is reflected in the Quintuple Aim, a framework that defines “what better care” means today.
Originally introduced as the Triple Aim by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, it has expanded to include clinician well-being and health equity. The Quintuple Aim focuses on:
Achieving these goals requires better data, stronger care coordination, and more meaningful ways to measure quality across the healthcare continuum.
Historically, quality measures relied on manual chart reviews or administrative claims data collected long after care was delivered. Today, healthcare is moving toward digital quality measures, which use electronic health records, patient generated health data, and interoperable systems to evaluate care more efficiently and more accurately. Programs such as HEDIS® and Medicare STAR Ratings continue to play an important role in measuring healthcare performance. As quality measurement becomes increasingly digital, organizations are looking for ways to improve outcomes while creating a better experience for both clinicians and the people they serve.
Clinicians today are overwhelmed by documentation requirements, reporting tasks, and manual data entry that often feel disconnected from actual patient care. Much of this work happens outside the visit, reviewing charts, pulling reports, reconciling data, and ensuring that quality metrics are accurately captured.
Manual chart reviews- time consuming and prone to error
Data reconciliation- pulling information from multiple systems
Tracking missed care gaps- directly affecting quality scores
Inconsistent documentation- variability across clinicians
Automated data capture- improves accuracy and reduces variability
Integration of CGM data- connecting patient generated health data directly to quality metric reporting
Real time gap identification-spots missing care gaps such as retinal eye exams or overdue kidney function testing
Reduced administrative burden- frees up clinician time and could lower cost of care
By shifting quality reporting from manual processes to automated digital workflows, healthcare organizations can create a more streamlined experience for both care teams and patients. More accurate and timely data supports better decision making, improved outcomes, and stronger performance in value based care programs.
Recent updates to HEDIS® reflect the growing role of diabetes technology in routine care, particularly CGM’s. For the 2024 measurement year, NCQA updated the Hemoglobin A1c Control for Patients With Diabetes measure and renamed it Glycemic Status Assessment for Patients With Diabetes, allowing either hemoglobin A1c or glucose management indicator (GMI) derived from CGM data to be used when assessing glycemic status.
Looking ahead, NCQA has proposed a new HEDIS measure, Continuous Glucose Monitoring Utilization for Patients With Diabetes, for the 2027 measurement year, which would track CGM use among adults with diabetes. While there is interest in expanding CGM based reporting beyond glucose management indicator to include metrics such as time in range, those elements have not yet been formally incorporated into HEDIS.
Together, these changes reflect a growing alignment between diabetes technology and value-based care, reinforcing CGM as a meaningful tool for improving outcomes and meeting evolving quality expectations.
As healthcare continues to evolve, you are uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate this transformation. The shift toward digital quality measures, expanded use of CGM data, and growing emphasis on value-based care highlight the need for clinicians who understand both the human side of diabetes and the technology that increasingly supports it. You already excel at patient engagement, technology adoption, behavior change, and chronic disease management, all core drivers of quality performance.
By deepening familiarity with digital reporting, leveraging diabetes technology, and helping with closing care gaps, you can play an even more influential role in improving outcomes and demonstrating value across the healthcare system. This transition represents not just a change in how care is measured, but an opportunity for you to help shape what high quality diabetes care looks like in a digital future.
Join this exclusive 30‑minute exclusive session, lead by expert Marie Frazzitta, DNP, FNP‑C, PMHNP, CDCES, MBA, who will provide a high‑level overview of how digital quality measures, CGM data, and value‑based care are transforming diabetes care delivery and reporting. You’ll learn how these shifts create new opportunities for diabetes health professionals to lead, demonstrate value, and shape the future of technology‑enabled diabetes care.
Marie is a nurse practitioner and healthcare strategist with experience across health systems, payer organizations, and digital diabetes technology. She brings a rare cross‑sector perspective to diabetes care, quality improvement, and digital health, helping organizations modernize chronic disease management and prepare for digital quality transformation.
Marie’s work spans clinical leadership, population‑health strategy, value‑based care performance, and digital innovation. Board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and trained as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, she integrates whole‑person care, behavioral science, and technology‑enabled practice to strengthen patient engagement and improve outcomes.
She has published and presented nationally on diabetes care (Type 1, Type 2, and diabetes in pregnancy), diabetes technology, digital quality measures, and patient engagement strategies including motivational interviewing.
Marie contributes to national initiatives through advisory and leadership roles with organizations such as the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), supporting workgroups and committees focused on diabetes care, digital quality measurement, and innovation.
🌟Updated Schedule: ADA Boot Camp, Tech, MNT & More
Live in Beautiful San Diego – Oct 22-23, 2026
Re-Ignite your Passion & Prepare for Diabetes Certification Exams
🎓 Earn 30+ CEs: AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ACPE, ANCC, and CDR!
📅
2-Day Conference
Oct 22–23, 2026
⏱️
15.5 Live CEs
+ 17 bonus CEs
🏅
CDCES & BC-ADM
Exam Prep + Renewal
📍
San Diego, CA
1.7 mi from airport
The field of diabetes care is expanding and evolving rapidly. This unique training conference will keep you on the cutting edge plus prepare you for certification exams. It also fulfills the Standards of Care renewal requirement. Join us for two days of intensive education that is fun and inspiring. Add on the optional Day 3 (Engaging the Disengaged), to complete your conference exeperience.
Coach Beverly and Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BC-ADM, CDCES co-lead an exciting day that brings the ADA and AACE Standards to life. Gain fresh insights, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of the latest in person-centered diabetes care. After attending, you will be empowered to share the latest in diabetes care with your colleagues and the people in your care.
Take your knowledge to the next level with this intensive deep-dive into insulin therapy, dosing and pattern management with Dr. Diana Isaacs. Next, stay for the diabetes tech show-and-tell as Diana demonstrates the specs of the latest pumps and sensors. After lunch, nutrition whiz Christine Craig, MS, RDN, CDCES expertly details the latest in MNT and provides real strategies on translating this content to your clinical practice. You will have a chance to put it all together as Coach Beverly leads you through a series of case studies that integrates content from Day 1 and Day 2.
On Saturday, join this exceptional day-long program led by William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES & Susan Guzman, PhD (Behavioral Diabetes Institute) that reveals psychosocial forces behind diabetes self-management — tools to break through resistance and inspire change.
Read more below
📜 Essentials
Registration
+ Printed Syllabus
$559.00
🌟 Deluxe
Essentials
+ ADA Standards Book
$589.00
🏆 Complete – Best Value!
Deluxe
+ ADCES Review Guide e-Book
$669.00
Transform how you engage patients with diabetes — master behavior change, reduce distress, and overcome medication hesitancy.
Why do so many patients know what they should do — but still struggle to do it?
The answer lies in the psychology of diabetes.
In this transformative full-day course, world-renowned experts William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES, and Susan Guzman, PhD, from the Behavioral Diabetes Institute reveal the hidden psychosocial forces that drive — or derail — diabetes self-management.
You’ll walk away with a completely new toolkit for breaking through patient resistance, dissolving medication hesitancy, and creating clinical encounters that actually inspire change!
Author: Evgeniya Evans, MAPP, RDN, LDN, CDCES
Diabetes care often asks people to add more to their busy daily schedules: more decisions, more data, more appointments, more routines. But what if sustainable health habits aren’t primarily a test of willpower? What if we look at them as a design challenge?
As diabetes healthcare professionals, we know that daily self-management doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It unfolds alongside work, caregiving, financial pressure, food access, cultural food traditions, fatigue, stress, transportation, neighborhood safety, and uneven access to care. Evidence-based recommendations matter, but they’re hard to sustain when they feel prescriptive, externally imposed, or disconnected from a person’s actual priorities. A plan that’s perfect on paper is worth little if it isn’t intrinsically motivating for the person living it.
Positive psychology and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) offer diabetes professionals a practical reframe: instead of asking people to fit more health tasks into their lives, we can help them redesign health-supportive routines to fit and even strengthen the lives they already want to live.
The goal isn’t to make people comply with a plan. It’s to help them design health-supportive routines that are chosen, possible, connected, and worth repeating.
A person can fully understand the clinical rationale for nutrition therapy, movement, medication-taking, glucose monitoring, or stress management and still struggle to fit it into daily life. That’s not necessarily a knowledge gap or a personal failure.
When we frame the challenge as “motivation,” we risk overlooking the real-world conditions shaping what’s actually feasible. Someone may want to cook at home but face high food costs, an unpredictable schedule, caregiving demands, or limited kitchen equipment. Person-centered care means exploring these realities with curiosity, not judgment, and it’s consistent with the ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes, which dedicate an entire section to facilitating positive health behaviors and wellbeing as part of evidence-based, person-centered treatment.
SDT helps explain why some health behaviors become personally owned while others stay burdensome obligations. Per foundational SDT research by Ryan and Deci (2000), sustainable, self-directed motivation depends on three psychological needs:
In practice, the clinician’s role becomes more than delivering the “right” recommendation; it’s co-creating an approach the person can actually carry forward. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t you following the plan?” we might ask, “What would make this feel more workable in your life right now?”
This isn’t passive care. It’s an active, collaborative use of clinical expertise to offer meaningful choices, highlight what’s working, build skills, anticipate barriers, and strengthen support. A 2023 scoping review found SDT-informed approaches show promise for improving diabetes self-management, treatment adherence, and quality of life, but the evidence base is growing and still uneven.
Positive psychology adds another useful question: can a health behavior contribute to wellbeing, rather than simply compete with it?
Positive psychology founder Martin Seligman defined wellbeing not as a fleeting feeling but as a measurable combination of positive feeling and a life filled with meaning and purpose (Seligman, 2011). His PERMA model names five building blocks of flourishing: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. These aren’t rewards people earn after “perfect” diabetes self-management; they can be built directly into everyday routines so those routines become more appealing and repeatable.
Movement, for instance, is clinically beneficial regardless, but the experience changes when the person chooses the time and place, walks with a loved one, or pairs it with music they enjoy. Even medication-taking shifts when it’s anchored to a meaningful daily ritual, like morning coffee with a partner, rather than treated as an isolated task.
The goal isn’t to layer all five PERMA elements onto every recommendation. It’s to identify the one or two that turn a health behavior from another “should” into something that supports the life the person wants.
Consider someone advised to walk after dinner. They understand the glucose benefits, but they’re exhausted after work, caring for a family member, and don’t feel safe walking alone after dark. Repeating the recommendation more firmly won’t change the routine; it’ll just add friction.
A life-design conversation starts differently: “What part of your evening already gives you even a small sense of enjoyment, connection, or calm?”
Maybe they mention a nightly call with a sibling. From there, clinician and patient can explore a short indoor walk during that call, a safe mall walk on certain days, or light movement during a favorite show. The person chooses the option. The plan reflects their real constraints and resources. Connection and enjoyment are built in. Each completed step becomes evidence of their own capability.
The clinical recommendation stays evidence-informed, but the routine becomes autonomous, feasible, connected, and life-enhancing.
Positive psychology doesn’t replace diabetes education, medical nutrition therapy, or medication management; it’s a complementary lens for designing behavior-change conversations. A 2022 systematic review found positive psychological interventions may support behaviors like physical activity, diet, and medication adherence, though this remains an emerging, evidence-informed area rather than a settled one.
When health habits support autonomy, competence, relatedness, enjoyment, meaning, and progress, they stop being tasks on a treatment plan, and start becoming part of a life someone actually wants to live.
At your next visit, pick one health recommendation and ask: “How could we make this feel like it belongs in this person’s life?”
That single question can open a different kind of clinical conversation, one that surfaces values, strengths, constraints, sources of joy, and forms of support a standard treatment plan might otherwise miss.
Evgeniya Evans, MAPP, RDN, LDN, CDCES
Excited to dive deeper? Join Evgeniya Evans, MAPP, RDN, LDN, CDCES, on September 14, 2026, for From Compliance to Connection: Positive Psychology Strategies for Lasting Change in Diabetes Care, a live session exploring how to integrate SDT and PERMA into person-centered diabetes education, with practical strategies for helping people redesign health habits that are both clinically supportive and personally sustainable.
Course Topics:
Author: Ashlie Sabourin
Customer Advocate
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for CDCES and BC-ADM Exam Prep – Benefits & Cautions
AI for CDCES and BC-ADM exam prep is becoming increasingly popular among healthcare professionals and certification candidates. Tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot can help learners create study guides, generate practice questions, explain difficult concepts, and organize educational materials.
Used thoughtfully, AI for CDCES and BC-ADM exam prep can be a valuable study aid. However, AI-generated content may be outdated, oversimplified, incomplete, or incorrect. AI works best as a supplemental learning tool alongside evidence-based resources, clinical judgment, and trusted educational materials.
The strongest learners combine AI-assisted exam preparation with critical thinking, information verification, and trusted clinical references.
The most important factors affecting the quality of AI-generated content is the quality of the prompt.
Vague prompts often produce broad, generic results. More specific prompts typically generate more focused and useful responses.
“Make me a diabetes study guide.”
The more context you provide, the more useful the output is likely to be.
Healthcare recommendations change over time. Including the current year in your prompt can help focus AI responses on more recent information.
Examples:
This simple step may reduce the likelihood of receiving outdated information.
The safest and most effective ways to use AI is by working directly from trusted educational content.
Examples include:
Rather than asking AI to search broadly for information, consider providing educational content directly and asking AI to help organize it.
For example:
A webinar transcript discussing insulin management.
Example prompts:
This approach allows learners to maximize the value of trusted educational resources while tailoring materials to their preferred learning style.
One of the most powerful uses of AI for exam preparation is creating active learning tools.
Many learners spend hours rereading notes. While review is important, active recall often improves retention more effectively.
Active recall requires learners to retrieve information from memory rather than simply rereading content.
AI can quickly generate:
Front:
What is the ADA Time in Range (TIR) goal for most adults with diabetes?
Back:
Greater than 70% of glucose readings between 70–180 mg/dL.
Front:
A patient using basal insulin has fasting glucose within target but elevated post-meal readings. What might be some treatment options?
Back:
To improve postprandial glucose, review MNT, activity levels, consider adding a GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP combo medication, or bolus insulin before meals.
Example prompts:
Download our Medication PocketCards
AI is most effective when used interactively rather than passively.
Instead of accepting the first response, continue the conversation.
Helpful follow-up questions include:
These types of questions encourage deeper understanding and clinical reasoning rather than memorization alone.
AI can also help:
AI tools may draw information from a variety of online sources. Whenever possible, direct AI to prioritize reputable clinical references.
Examples include:
You can also include instructions such as:
Providing source guidance often improves the quality and reliability of AI-generated content.
AI-generated content should always be reviewed critically.
AI can occasionally provide inaccurate information with a high degree of confidence. Independent verification is especially important in healthcare education.
Always verify:
Continue to rely on trusted resources such as:
AI can be a valuable addition to your study toolkit when used thoughtfully and responsibly. By combining AI-assisted learning with trusted educational resources, evidence-based references, and critical thinking, learners can create personalized study materials while maintaining confidence in the accuracy and quality of the information they are reviewing.
The goal is not to replace traditional study methods—it is to enhance them.
🌟Updated Schedule: ADA Boot Camp, Tech, MNT & More
Live in Beautiful San Diego – Oct 22-23, 2026
Re-Ignite your Passion & Prepare for Diabetes Certification Exams
🎓 Earn 30+ CEs: AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ACPE, ANCC, and CDR!
📅
2-Day Conference
Oct 22–23, 2026
⏱️
15.5 Live CEs
+ 17 bonus CEs
🏅
CDCES & BC-ADM
Exam Prep + Renewal
📍
San Diego, CA
1.7 mi from airport
The field of diabetes care is expanding and evolving rapidly. This unique training conference will keep you on the cutting edge plus prepare you for certification exams. It also fulfills the Standards of Care renewal requirement. Join us for two days of intensive education that is fun and inspiring. Add on the optional Day 3 (Engaging the Disengaged), to complete your conference exeperience.
Coach Beverly and Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BC-ADM, CDCES co-lead an exciting day that brings the ADA and AACE Standards to life. Gain fresh insights, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of the latest in person-centered diabetes care. After attending, you will be empowered to share the latest in diabetes care with your colleagues and the people in your care.
Take your knowledge to the next level with this intensive deep-dive into insulin therapy, dosing and pattern management with Dr. Diana Isaacs. Next, stay for the diabetes tech show-and-tell as Diana demonstrates the specs of the latest pumps and sensors. After lunch, nutrition whiz Christine Craig, MS, RDN, CDCES expertly details the latest in MNT and provides real strategies on translating this content to your clinical practice. You will have a chance to put it all together as Coach Beverly leads you through a series of case studies that integrates content from Day 1 and Day 2.
On Saturday, join this exceptional day-long program led by William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES & Susan Guzman, PhD (Behavioral Diabetes Institute) that reveals psychosocial forces behind diabetes self-management — tools to break through resistance and inspire change.
Read more below
📜 Essentials
Registration
+ Printed Syllabus
$559.00
🌟 Deluxe
Essentials
+ ADA Standards Book
$589.00
🏆 Complete – Best Value!
Deluxe
+ ADCES Review Guide e-Book
$669.00
Transform how you engage patients with diabetes — master behavior change, reduce distress, and overcome medication hesitancy.
Why do so many patients know what they should do — but still struggle to do it?
The answer lies in the psychology of diabetes.
In this transformative full-day course, world-renowned experts William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES, and Susan Guzman, PhD, from the Behavioral Diabetes Institute reveal the hidden psychosocial forces that drive — or derail — diabetes self-management.
You’ll walk away with a completely new toolkit for breaking through patient resistance, dissolving medication hesitancy, and creating clinical encounters that actually inspire change!
