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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 However, AI-generated content may be outdated, oversimplified, incomplete, or incorrect.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This simple step may reduce the likelihood of receiving outdated information.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!
“I’ve managed my diabetes for years, but ever since starting cancer treatment, my blood glucose has been all over the place. I don’t know what I am doing wrong.”
As diabetes health professionals, our job is to support people through both complex clinical situations and the emotional challenges of living with cancer and diabetes. Having the knowledge to address both can improve engagement, lead to better outcomes, and strengthen relationships with the people we work with.
Diabetes and cancer are no longer just parallel health crises sharing a person’s chart; they are deeply entangled pathologies where hyperglycemia, inflammation and the risk of cancer development are interrelated. For diabetes healthcare professionals, mastering this bidirectional threat no longer falls under the rare case scenario.
As a diabetes professional, you have an important role in detecting sudden hyperglycemia as a result of chemotherapeutic agents, like checkpoint inhibitors and PI3k inhibitors. In addition, you can encourage people with diabetes to engage in regular cancer screenings and be aware of reportable symptoms. This is an immediate, high-stakes clinical mandate that can improve prompt treatment and detect cancer earlier.
The shared risk factors between type 2 diabetes and cancer (older age, elevated body weight, and lack of physical activity) increase this bidirectional association, but diabetes-related factors such as underlying disease physiology or diabetes treatments may also increase this cancer-diabetes connection.
One of the most clinically actionable areas of recent research highlights the relationship between a new diabetes diagnosis and pancreatic and other cancers.
People with type 2 diabetes face about twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those without the condition, while an older adult (over 50) with new-onset diabetes experiences a sharper increase in risk within the first few years.
New onset of atypical diabetes (lean body habitus and negative family history) in a middle-aged or older person may precede the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Additionally, in a nationwide cancer registry in New Zealand, post pancreatitis diabetes mellitus was associated with significantly higher risk (2.4-fold) of pancreatic cancer compared with pancreatitis after type 2 diabetes. (ADA).
Diabetes is associated with increased risk of cancers of the liver, pancreas, endometrium, colon and rectum, breast, and bladder.
Large-scale cohort analyses reveal that individuals with diabetes face a roughly doubled risk of developing
There are also notable 1.2- to 1.5-fold increases in:
People with diabetes are encouraged to schedule recommended age-and sex-appropriate cancer screenings, coordinated with their primary health care professional. As diabetes professionals, you can encourage individuals to take action and to reduce their modifiable cancer risk factors. Actions that help with diabetes management also reduce risk of cancer including:
The cancer frontier of oncology has been revolutionized by precision therapies, but these life-saving advancements can come with steep glucose elevations due to beta cell disruption.
Hyperglycemia due to chemotherapy may either be transient (improving upon treatment cessation) or represent permanent diabetes.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used to treat many types of cancer, such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma.
Common immune checkpoint inhibitors include: pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab (Opdivo), ipilimumab (Yervoy), durvalumab (Imfinzi), atezolizumab (Tecentriq).
The most likely Immune checkpoint inhibitors that rigger rapid, autoimmune-mediated destruction of beta cells include:
Insulin therapy is the cornerstone of management, as individuals typically present with rapid-onset, severe hyperglycemia or DKA. Many will initially need an insulin drip, followed by the implementation of basal bolus insulin therapy along with continuous glucose monitoring.
PI3K inhibitors are used primarily to treat advanced breast cancer (specifically HR+/HER2- tumors with PIK3CA mutations) and blood cancers (such as lymphomas, leukemias, and follicular lymphoma).
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors are small molecules designed to disrupt intracellular signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth and survival. Within this class, targeted inhibition of the alpha isoform (PI3Kα) disrupts downstream insulin receptor signaling, frequently resulting in profound, on-target hyperglycemia and acute insulin resistance.
Which PI3K medications are associated with glucose elevations?
These two types of PI3Kα inhibitors have a 60% incidence of causing hyperglycemia, typically appearing within the first 2 weeks of therapy.
People at increased risk of hyperglycemia from PI3K inhibitor therapy include those with:
Glucose management is crucial since significant hyperglycemia can lead to discontinuation and/or reduction in PI3K medication dose, which can decrease therapy efficacy.
Cancer treatment often includes concurrent steroid therapy to enhance efficacy. However, steroid therapy can induce or worsen hyperglycemia.
Steroids have their highest potency at 4-12 hours, with the exception of the very potent dexamethasone, which has a half life of 1-2 days.
With morning steroids, including dexamethasone, people will experience elevated glucose values after breakfast, lunch, dinner, and at bedtime but will have a significant drop toward normal glucose overnight.
Therefore, hyperglycemia is greatest 1–2 hours after a meal, with persistent elevation until the following meal, followed by a return to normal overnight.
To treat steroid induced hyperglycemia, NPH. Neutral Protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin is an effective treatment choice since it is an intermediate acting basal insulin. NPH insulin is cloudy and has an onset of 1–4 hours. Its peak is 6–10 hours and its duration is about 10–16 hours. Download our Insulin PocketCards.
For individuals on once daily steroids, morning NPH with some bolus insulin can effectively target daytime hyperglycemia. For those taking steroids twice daily, an additional dose of NPH plus bolus as needed, is added at dinnertime.
Join Coach Beverly July 21 at 11:30am to learn more during our Cancer and Diabetes Webinar.
As diabetes professionals, we are stepping into a vital new role at the intersection of metabolic health and oncology. Modern cancer therapies like checkpoint inhibitors and PI3K inhibitors are absolute game-changers for oncology, but they often trigger sudden, severe hyperglycemia that catches patients and healthcare professionals off guard.
That is where our expertise becomes a literal lifesaver. By actively monitoring for sudden hyperglycemia and aggressively championing routine cancer screenings, we are doing so much more than just managing a chronic disease. We are taking on an urgent, high-stakes clinical mandate that ensures patients get immediate treatment when they need it most and catches cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.
Ultimately, our vigilance bridges the gap between effective cancer therapy and safe metabolic health, directly shaping better, life-saving outcomes for the people in our care.
Explore the unexpected link between cancer and diabetes — and master glucose management strategies for people with diabetes undergoing treatment.
Individuals with cancer often experience hyperglycemia secondary to treatment, which can increase the risk of infection and other complications. Recent research has also identified a significant link between diabetes and cancer. This course uses a case study approach to explore this connection and provide practical strategies for managing steroid-induced hyperglycemia and improving quality of life for people navigating both conditions.
Course Topics:
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: Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
CEO: DiabetesEd Services
At my recent physical, my provider noticed the crumpled list of questions I was clutching and asked to see my list of concerns. I reluctantly handed it over, explaining they were just mental notes for myself. My practitioner—usually kind and curious—scanned the paper, handed it right back, and said, “I can’t address all of these today. Pick your top three.”
What happened over the past 6 months that impacted our connection?
What if the greatest future contribution of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and diabetes care isn’t replacing healthcare professionals—but giving us back the time and emotional energy to be fully present with the people we serve?
That is one of the most inspiring messages from the recent Diabetes Care article, “Diabetes Care in 2050: A Human-Centered Road Map From Time in Range to Time in Happiness.”
Rather than imagining a future in which technology overshadows human relationships, the authors envision a healthcare system where AI and digital innovation reduce administrative burdens, personalize care, and allow clinicians to focus on what matters most: meaningful human connection.
Healthcare has become increasingly complex, especially in diabetes. New medications, continuous glucose monitoring, automated insulin delivery systems, and sophisticated data platforms are being released at a record-breaking pace. Yet many healthcare professionals find themselves spending more time documenting, interpreting data, and navigating electronic health records than they do sitting face-to-face with the people they care for.
The article argues that by 2050, AI could be tasked with managing much of this cognitive and administrative workload—organizing information, identifying trends, generating documentation, and supporting clinical decision-making. This shift has the potential to return our attention to listening, coaching, and partnering with people living with diabetes.
One idea that particularly resonated with me is the authors’ proposal to redefine diabetes success from solely focusing on clinical metrics such as hemoglobin A1C, Time in Range, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to a more human-based metric. While clinical measures are important, they don’t fully capture what matters to the individual.
The vision presented in this paper expands our perspective from “Time in Range” to “Time in Happiness.”
As caregivers, we can shift to a goal not solely focused on numbers, but to help people spend more of their time free from the constant burden of managing diabetes.
As diabetes healthcare professionals, this concept aligns beautifully with person-centered care. Our role has never been to prescribe medications or interpret glucose reports.
We help people navigate fear, frustration, competing priorities, financial barriers, family responsibilities, and the emotional weight of living with a chronic condition.
However, it can create conditions that allow those human qualities to flourish by handling repetitive tasks and providing clinicians with timely, actionable insights.
AI should augment—not replace—clinical judgment.
Imagine beginning a visit with an AI-generated summary highlighting glucose trends, medication-taking patterns, potential barriers, and individualized recommendations based on current evidence.
Instead of spending the first ten minutes gathering information, you could begin with a meaningful question such as, “What has been the hardest part of managing your diabetes since we last met?” Technology becomes the assistant, allowing the healthcare professional to remain the healer.
Instead of staying late to chart, your conversation with the individual is transcribed in the patient’s own words and language and uploaded to the electronic medical record.
Administrative responsibilities continue to grow while visit lengths frequently remain unchanged. Documentation, prior authorizations, inbox management, and data review play a major role in clinician fatigue. If AI can safely automate many of these tasks, healthcare professionals may experience greater professional satisfaction and more opportunities to practice the type of medicine that originally inspired them to enter healthcare. Caring for others becomes less about managing paperwork and more about building relationships.
Of course, the authors wisely acknowledge that this future is not guaranteed. Achieving a human-centered healthcare system will require deliberate implementation, ethical attention, equitable access to technology, and healthcare reforms that value people over processes. AI is only a tool. Its value depends on how thoughtfully we integrate it into care. The article calls for co-designed solutions that include healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes in shaping these innovations, so technology improves rather than fragments the care experience.
This future vision reinforces a belief I’ve held throughout my career: diabetes care is not about choosing between technology and interpersonal connection. It is about using technology to strengthen human connections. Every innovation should ultimately answer one question: Does this help us better understand, support, and partner with the person sitting in front of us?
As we look toward the future, I hope AI becomes the quiet partner working behind the scenes—organizing information, identifying patterns, and simplifying complexity—while healthcare professionals do what only humans can do: listen deeply, inspire hope, foster trust, and walk alongside people through life’s challenges. If we achieve that balance, perhaps by 2050 we really will measure success not only by Time in Range but also by Time in Happiness. And that is a future worth building.
Founder & CEO: DiabetesEd Services
Diabetes Care in 2050: A Human-Centered Road Map From Time in Range to Time in Happiness Guy FagherazziEmmanuel CossonChantal MathieuRenza ScibiliaKyle Jacques RoseKamil ArmackyKorey HoodBart TorbeynsElise BismuthStéphane BesanconPratik ChoudharyRoberto MallonePierre-Yves BenhamouDianna J. MaglianoCarine de BeaufortJean-Pierre RivelineMichael Joubert; Diabetes Care in 2050: A Human-Centered Road Map From Time in Range to Time in Happiness. Diabetes Care 2026; dci260059. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci26-0059
🌟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!
Every year, National Nurses Week invites us to pause and honor a profession rooted in compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to care.
This Nurses Week, I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate a nursing colleague, friend or family member. Let them know how their care and compassion has made a difference in your life!
As I reflect on my 40 years as a nurse, I feel both humbled and energized by the extraordinary legacy we carry forward. Nursing is not just a career—it is a calling shaped by human connection, scientific curiosity, and the courage to show up, again and again, for people in their most vulnerable moments.
The history of nursing is rich with pioneers who transformed care through both innovation and heart. Florence Nightingale is often recognized as the founder of modern nursing, bringing sanitation and data-driven care to the forefront. But beyond her statistics and systems, she modeled something deeper—the importance of presence. That legacy continues today in every nurse who sits at the bedside, listens without judgment, and advocates fiercely for those in their care.
The observance recognizes the critical role of nurses in patient care, research, leadership, and education. It raises public awareness of the challenges nurses face, such as staffing shortages and workplace stress – and promotes professional pride and public gratitude. The ANA and partner bodies like the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses host webinars, award ceremonies, and advocacy events to spotlight the profession’s impact
Today, nurses represent the largest group of healthcare professionals specializing in diabetes. Nearly half (46%) of those who hold a CDCES credential are nurses. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a reflection of the profound impact nurses have in shaping how diabetes care is delivered, understood, and experienced every day.
In the world of diabetes care, nurses have been at the center of transformation. From the early days of checking urine glucose to administering pork and beef insulin to today’s advanced technologies, nurses have led the way. As early adopters of continuous glucose monitoring and automated insulin delivery systems, nurses have bridged the gap between complex science and real-life application. We are educators, coaches, and translators—helping people make sense of numbers, medications, and daily decisions that can feel overwhelming.
What makes diabetes nursing uniquely powerful, is the ongoing contact nurses often maintain with individuals over a lifetime. Diabetes doesn’t take a day off, and neither does the emotional weight that often accompanies it. In my work, I’ve learned that the most meaningful breakthroughs don’t come from adjusting a medication or starting a CGM, they come from creating a space where someone feels seen, heard, and supported.
Over the decades, I’ve witnessed incredible advancements in diabetes care—new medications, smarter devices, and more personalized approaches. Nurses, along with their colleagues, are often the steady thread in a fragmented healthcare system. We are the ones who notice subtle changes, ask deeper questions, and advocate when something doesn’t feel right. In diabetes care, this might mean recognizing patterns in glucose trends, addressing social determinants of health, or simply acknowledging the burnout a person feels after years of self-management. These moments matter more than we often realize.
As I reflect on my journey, from bedside nursing to education, from rural clinics to national stages – I am continually reminded that our greatest impact comes not from having all the answers, but from presence. The simple act of sitting with someone, validating their experience, and walking alongside them can be profoundly healing – for them and for us. This mutual growth is at the heart of sustainable, meaningful care.
In hospitals, clinics, schools, and beyond – you show up at every hour of the day and night, bringing skill, compassion, and unwavering dedication. You give of yourselves in ways both seen and unseen, helping others heal, receive comfort, and feel cared for in their most vulnerable moments.
National Nurses Week offers us a moment to pause and honor your service and a profession grounded in compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to showing up for others. Thank YOU!
Coach Beverly, RN and author of Healing through Connection for Healthcare Professionals!
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Course credits through AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, ACPE, ANCC, and CDR!
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Our CDCES Boot Camp Online Prep Bundle is a comprehensive, high-impact program built specifically for healthcare professionals preparing for the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) exam who want to level up their clinical knowledge and skills.
This evidence-based study bundle is a comprehensive BC-ADM Boot Camp designed for advanced-level healthcare professionals preparing for the Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) exam and will also provide you with state-of-the-art information to level up your clinical practice.
Join national experts including Dr. Diana Isaacs (Cleveland Clinic), Beverly Thomassian (30+ years of experience), and Christine Craig for high-impact, virtual learning—no travel required.
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In honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2026, we’re shining a light on the power of native plants in creating vibrant, resilient ecosystems—for wildlife and for people. See our Earth Day List of Resources Here!
Native plants—those that have evolved naturally in a specific region—play a crucial role in supporting local pollinators, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. These plants provide essential food, pollen, and shelter that many species rely on for survival. And while the benefits to the environment are clear, cultivating native plants also boosts human well-being. Thriving ecosystems support cleaner air and water, increased biodiversity, and create opportunities for people to reconnect with nature.
When Coach Beverly moved into her home 26 years ago, she planted what many of us do—flowers and grasses that looked appealing and could withstand local heat. With an acre of land surrounding her home and office, she had space to experiment, adding a wide variety of foliage and trees for beauty and shade.
But like many at that time, she wasn’t yet aware of the importance of native plants—or how their presence (or absence) affects the animals, insects, and birds that share our space.
Over time, as she learned more about habitat loss and the plight of pollinators, she began to rethink her approach. Through research, visits to a nearby native nursery, and the help of trusted websites, she and her husband began the transformation: reshaping their land into a space that supports bees, butterflies, frogs, birds, lizards, and more. Today, their yard is not only beautiful but also an oasis for wildlife—and a model of sustainable gardening.
In addition to plants, providing a water source can be a game-changer for thirsty pollinators and wildlife. Whether it’s a birdbath, a shallow dish, or a small pond, water invites life into any garden.
Last year, Coach Beverly dug a small frog pond. Within weeks, frogs, toads, and birds made themselves at home. A year later, the pond teems with tadpoles, mosquito fish, dragonflies, water beetles, and countless other tiny creatures.
The pond has become a source of daily joy and fascination for family and visitors alike—a reminder of how deeply nature nurtures our spirits. It has also been a powerful tool for stress relief and mental well-being.
For those managing diabetes, chronic conditions, or everyday stress, spending time in nature and caring for living things can be deeply therapeutic. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start small:
For the more adventurous, creating a native plant garden is a wonderful excuse to get outdoors, move your body, and take pride in a growing, living space. There’s something special about tasting a sun-warmed tomato that’s been nurtured from seed to fruit.
A great place to start is the article Audubon – 20 Common Types of Native Plants, which outlines beneficial plants found across the U.S. To make it local, cross-reference with your zip code using tools like the Native Plant Finder – NWF by the National Wildlife Federation.
For example, in Chico, California, the California Christmas-Berry is drought-tolerant and a favorite food source for local birds.
🌳 Here are a few native plant ideas to consider:
Need help sourcing plants? The Plant Native website offers a helpful directory of native nurseries throughout the U.S.
Many people feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the state of the planet. But there is also a growing awareness of our power to make change—and hope rooted in action.
Whether it’s planting a single native shrub, providing a bowl of water, or simply observing and appreciating the life around us, every effort makes a difference.
Visit www.earthday.org and Project Regeneration for more ideas and inspiration on how to help the Earth thrive.
Each person has the ability to nurture the planet and themselves, starting right at home. Native plants are a simple, beautiful way to support both biodiversity and human well-being.
So this Earth Day, consider taking that first step. Plant something. Provide water. Let nature in. And know that even the smallest actions ripple outward in meaningful ways.
🌎 Happy Earth Day from Coach Beverly and the Diabetes Education Services team.
Q: What do you see as the most common misconceptions healthcare professionals have about people who don’t engage effectively with diabetes self-management behaviors?
A: The most common misconceptions are that people who don’t engage with diabetes management are unmotivated, not scared enough, and don’t care about their health.
We asked our favorite diabetes psychologist, Susan Guzman, PhD, to share her insights on how to engage most effectively when providing care to people with diabetes. Keep reading for more expert insights.
Q: How do these misconceptions lead to further problems for people with diabetes and further frustrations for the HCPs?
A: Not understanding the actual barriers to effective engagement leads to responses that don’t help. If you think someone is unmotivated, you might encourage someone to try harder or offer advice that doesn’t meet the person’s needs. If you think someone isn’t taking action because they must not be scared enough, you might try to warn them of all the terrible complications that could happen if they don’t make changes. If you believe someone doesn’t engage with diabetes self-management because they don’t care about their health, you may stop suggesting changes thinking they won’t do it anyway.
Because these are misconceptions, these corresponding tactics are ineffective, often leading people to feel more disengaged and misunderstood, immobilized with fear and hopelessness. In turn, HCPs too can end up feeling more frustrated and hopeless about helping patients reach treatment targets.
Q: What are some of the actual reasons people may not engage with diabetes self-management?
A: There are many common barriers that can result in someone seeing that needed changes as not worth the effort required or seem unachievable. When you begin to see the “good reasons” for people feeling disengaged from diabetes care, you can start to spot solutions that better fit the problem. For example, someone might actually feel doomed (scary complications and early death are unavoidable) and are hopeless that their efforts will have a positive impact. Instead of a scary lecture, this person could really benefit from some “evidence-based hope”, learning that there is good evidence that with targeted effort as a team to reach target, it is possible to have a long and healthy life with diabetes.
Q: Are there quick ways to identify these common barriers to effective diabetes management and brief interventions to help?
A: Yes! There are simple evidence-based ways to identify common behavioral obstacles and address them in routine clinical care. In our one-day workshop, “Engaging the Disengaged: Innovative Strategies for Behavior Change in Diabetes” we will help participants gain confidence in using these tools, having more productive conversations and collaborating with patients in generating more engaging and effective treatment plans.
Q: Are there any upcoming trainings available to explore these techniques and strategies?
A: Yes! Dr. William Polonsky and myself are facilitating a 6-hour conference in San Diego designed to bring these concepts life. This course isn’t a lecture — it’s an immersive, skills-building experience. Using a collaborative, person-centered approach, participants will practice real communication strategies that enhance motivation, build patient confidence, and make self-management feel doable. From diabetes distress to action planning to long-term adherence, every skill you gain is immediately applicable in your practice.
Sign-up today, since we are limiting enrollment to 50 people!
Dr. Susan Guzman is a clinical psychologist specializing in diabetes. In 2003, Dr. Guzman co-founded the Behavioral Diabetes Institute (BDI), the first non-profit organization devoted to the emotional and behavioral aspects of living with diabetes.
At BDI, she serves as the Director of Clinical Education, developing and leading programs for people with diabetes and healthcare professionals. She has helped develop and facilitate diabetes distress group interventions for two NIH-funded research studies for adults with type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Guzman is passionate about helping to change the conversations in diabetes away from shame, blame, and judgment to those based on facts, empathy, and engagement. She has been part of a joint ADA/ADCES effort to address problematic language and messages in diabetes.
Dr. William H. Polonsky, PhD, CDCES
In addition to being the Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, Dr. Polonsky is Associate Clinical Professor in Medicine at the University of California San Diego.
A licensed clinical psychologist, certified diabetes care and educational specialist (CDCES), and highly-cited research scientist with more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in the field of behavioral diabetes.
His most recent research projects have focused on quality of life in diabetes, diabetes-related distress, hypoglycemic fear, glucose monitoring behavior and attitudes in people living with diabetes, group-based behavior change programs, the influence of continuous glucose monitoring on quality of life, and the development of new methods for enhancing diabetes education. In addition, he continues to maintain a small clinical practice where he works with his patients to help alleviate the stresses, strains and aggravations of living with diabetes.
Of note, he has authored several books for the lay audience (e.g., Diabetes Burnout: What to Do When You Can’t Take it Anymore) and co-edited several others for health care professionals (e.g., A CORE Curriculum for Diabetes Education).
Have you ever left a medical appointment thinking, “I wish I had asked that question,” or “I wish someone really understood what this feels like”?
Managing type 2 diabetes is not just about numbers. It is about decisions. Emotions. Responsibilities. Fatigue. Food. Family. And sometimes feeling like you are carrying all of it alone.
That is why Coach Beverly and DiabetesSisters are proud to launch a new chapter in diabetes support on the West Coast!
Coach Beverly has been a nurse for 40 years and a diabetes specialist for 30. For two decades, she led a hospital-based diabetes support group that became a trusted space for women to gather, learn, and feel understood.
Now, she is bringing that experience to a new West Coast Type 2 Diabetes Support Group with DiabetesSisters.
What drew her to diabetes care was not only the science but the opportunity to make a difference in how women experience living with this condition.
She noticed that many conversations focused on what was not working. Very few recognized the daily effort required to manage a condition no one asked for.
She believes women deserve more than instruction. They deserve encouragement.
As she often reminds participants:
You are already doing more than you think.
This new diabetes support program on the West Coast is built around something simple and powerful: connection.
When women gather in Coach Beverly’s group, they talk about the realities of living with type 2 diabetes, including:
One woman shares something she has never said out loud. Another nods in recognition. And just like that, isolation begins to soften.
Peer support has been shown to strengthen confidence and encourage meaningful behavior change. Our 2024 survey data show that 90 percent of participants felt confident making behavioral changes, and 88 percent felt confident taking steps to support their diabetes management.
But beyond the numbers, there is something deeply human about being seen.
As one participant shared: “I feel so much more connected and less alone in my diabetes journey through the monthly meetings. DiabetesSisters is an amazing resource and community.”
That is the experience this new West Coast program is creating.
Because this is a new program on the West Coast, you have the opportunity to join from the very beginning.
At your first session, you can expect:
At the end of each meeting, you may choose one small, realistic commitment to focus on before the next session. Not a complete life overhaul. Just one doable step.
This is not about perfection. It is about progress. It is about living well while managing diabetes.
If you are a healthcare professional, this new diabetes support program on the West Coast offers an additional layer of care for women living with diabetes.
Diabetes management does not end in the exam room. Women benefit from structured peer support that addresses emotional health, daily decision-making, and lived experience.
Coach Beverly’s group complements clinical care and reinforces self-management behaviors. We welcome referrals for women living with type 2 diabetes who may benefit from additional support.
If you are living with type 2 diabetes and wondering whether this new group is for you, Coach Beverly has a simple invitation:
Come once.
And there is a seat waiting for you.
Join national experts including Dr. Diana Isaacs (Cleveland Clinic), Beverly Thomassian (30+ years of experience), and Christine Craig for high-impact, virtual learning—no travel required.
✔ Learn from National Experts — Anywhere
Get the same expert-level instruction you’d receive in person, delivered live to your home or office.
✔ Interactive & Flexible
Walk away with tools you can apply immediately in clinical practice or while preparing for CDCES or BC-ADM exams. From insulin dosing protocols to behavior change strategies that work in the real world—this content bridges theory & practice.
