February is the month we celebrate love.
In my opinion, love is at the center of providing diabetes care and education. We open our hearts as we carefully listen to people share their stories about living with diabetes. We celebrate successes and grieve losses alongside the individuals we serve every day. We speak our hearts when we advocate for evidence-based care that enhances well-being and improves outcomes.
In celebration of the compassionate contributions of diabetes care and education specialists, we are excited to announce our “Spreading the Love” Sale during the week of Valentine’s Day.
This month, we are delighted to share our updated Diabetes Education Services logos, celebrating 25 years of growth, connection, and inspiration. Keep your eyes open for website and online communications that include our freshened-up logo coupled with a 25.
For this month’s newsletter, we highlight the new Medicare $35 Insulin cap, discuss how treatments to delay type 1 diabetes might lead to childhood screening, announce a new SGLT-2i and of course test your knowledge with our Question and Rationale of the Week.
Lastly, we are offering two “Making a Difference” Scholarships, which provide a pair of deserving recipients with free registration for our Virtual DiabetesEd Training Course in late April.
It has been a complete joy to serve our community and provide meaningful courses, newsletters, blogs, cheat sheets, and content that makes a real difference in people’s lives since 1998. Who knows what we will come up with in the next 25 years?
With gratitude for our amazing community,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Amanda, Andrew, and Jackson
Featured Articles
Upcoming Webinars
Whether you are new to diabetes or a seasoned expert, you’ll benefit from this virtual conference with the latest research plus critical content that you can immediately apply to your clinical practice.
If you are seeking a state-of-the-art review of current diabetes care, this course is for you. Our team has been fine-tuning this course for over fifteen years, and we know what you need. This program can also be a great addition to your CDCES or BC-ADM exam study plan.
Group discounts are available!*
Download Course Flyer | Download Schedule
All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
Every year, Coach Beverly excitedly waits for the release of the new ADA Standards of Care. She loves scanning through the pages of content to discover updates and advances that lead to improved diabetes care. She then translates this new information into her presentations, updates her Cheat Sheets, and refreshes web content to reflect the latest guidelines.
Coach Beverly has discovered three real gems that she is excited to share with all of you.
In this first newsletter of 2023, we feature the new blood pressure and lipid guidelines based on ADA Standard 10. Plus, we explore changes to the Medication Algorithm for Type 2 Diabetes as featured in Standard 9, with a discussion on starting insulin versus an incretin mimetic.
We have updated our images for Question and Rationale of the Week and we invite you to test your knowledge below and review the rationale for the best answer.
Our Cheat Sheets are updated to reflect the 2023 Standards, so you can download these helpful references and study tools. The ever-popular Medications and Glucagon 2023 PocketCards are back from the printer and ready for purchase.
January marks the month we kick off our Level 1 Series. In February, we present our annual ADA Standards of Care update webinar and Level 3 Boot Camp Course Series.
For our 25-year celebration, we have several special events planned that we will be rolling out in the Spring. Stay tuned for an exciting 2023.
With gratitude for our amazing community,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Amanda, Andrew, and Jackson
Featured Articles
Upcoming Webinars
This bundle is specifically designed for healthcare professionals who want to learn more about diabetes fundamentals for their clinical practice or for those who are studying for the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) exam.
Intended Audience: This library of critical information is designed for individuals or groups of diabetes specialists, including RNs, RDs, Pharmacists, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Physician Assistants, and other health care providers interested in staying up to date on current practices of care for people with diabetes and preparing for the CDCES Certification Exam.
All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
We decided to get a little personal and share some tenderness, alongside our newsy pieces, for this month’s newsletter.
For Coach Beverly, three words come to mind when she considers her family and business this year: reopening, celebration, and reflection. In her article, Beverly shares insights on the evolution of her company and her family over the past 24 years, including a historical photo of her first-ever Medication PocketCard.
Bryanna shares news on her two recent adoptees, Biscuit and Muffin. They are each adorable in their own way, and Bryanna hopes that they will eventually bring out the best in each other.
We welcome Andrew, a nursing student and new team member to our Diabetes Education Services family.
On the news front, we made significant changes to the timing section of our Insulin Medication PocketCards. We have also added Rezvoglar to the Lantus biosimilar list.
You’re invited to take the Question of the Week and read about the ADA/EASD consensus report with our Rationale of the week.
Finally, we want to turn the spotlight on you! We are forever grateful for your willingness to support and believe in a young Diabetes Specialist who had the vision to create a company that uplifts people with diabetes through a blend of science and compassion.
To thank you, our amazing community of diabetes educators and advocates, we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout 2023 with special events and giveaways. We can’t wait!
In celebration,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Amanda, Andrew, and Jackson
Featured Articles
FREE Resources
December 13, 2022 – FREE: Test Taking Practice Exam Toolkit
December 14, 2022 – FREE: CDCES or BC-ADM – Which Certification is Right for me?December 15, 2022 – New ADA/EASD Meds Consensus Update| Level 2 |1.5 CE’s
December 20, 2022 – Assessing Well-Being: A Person-Centered Approach | 1.5 CEs
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
Three words come to mind when I consider my family and business this year: reopening, celebration, and reflection.
From the start, my wonderful husband and boys have been amazing Diabetes Education Services cheerleaders. They are not only enthusiastic supporters, they roll up their sleeves and help package orders, stuff PocketCards, and run errands for emergency supplies. Both of my boys worked at my company throughout high school and contributed so much in terms of new ideas and products.
As I wrap up my year, I wanted to share a little about me and my family with all of you.
I am thrilled that life has opened up again. It has been so fun to go to football games to watch my high school senior, Jackson leads the marching band as drum major. Our troupe started dancing again and we were invited to perform at a local art museum for a fundraiser. Our family traveled and traipsed all around Scotland and visited family in London. Plus, for the first time in over 2 years, I taught two diabetes seminars LIVE and in person. There is nothing like the deep and profound connection made with others in a shared community.
My oldest son Robert is moving beautifully into adulthood as he studies finance and navigates college life and internships. My younger son, Jackson, loves chemistry and is busy writing essays about his goals and life experiences for college. I have so enjoyed reviewing these essays and learning new details about this wonderfully curious human. My husband continues his work as a critical care pharmacist and hopes to start a residency program at our local community hospital in the future.
I started Diabetes Education Services in May of 1998, just after the world wide web was introduced and sending messages through something called “email” was possible. At first, my one-person company only offered live courses at hospitals and meeting sites around the country. To engage new customers, I created a 2-sided Medication Post Card (see image), that we would mail out for free in exchange for an email address. My whole family helped me stuff envelopes and handwrite addresses in an effort to grow our community.
My administrative space consisted of a 10×12 foot room in our home, where I juggled writing my monthly newsletter and updating slides, all while raising two busy toddlers. In 2010, I took a leap of faith and decided to try offering courses online. In addition, I hired an amazing marketing team to redo my website and make sure it accurately reflected our company values and message of inclusion and kindness.
Fast forward to today. We have since grown our business to include an amazing team of employees and a newsletter that reaches over 37,000 online subscribers. Our Online University includes over 50 CE courses that we update yearly, plus we offer a CDCES Coach app, blogs, an 8-sided PocketCard, keynote presentations, and more. Our working space has expanded to a studio just steps from my home. This spacious office has room to store all our books and teaching tools plus offers lots of natural light, a view of my pond with abundant bird visitors, and an upstairs recording studio.
The truth is, we couldn’t have done any of this without YOU, our community. I am forever grateful for your willingness to support and believe in a young Diabetes Specialist who had the vision to create a company that uplifted people with diabetes through a blend of science and compassion.
To thank our amazing community of diabetes educators and advocates, we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout the year. Stay tuned. We can’t wait to see what the future holds!
See Full Free Resource Catalog
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
A few years ago, I drastically changed my approach to diabetes self-management education as a result of participating in the Embark Trial Research Team.
To my surprise, the innovative coaching techniques I learned and applied in the Embark study upped my game and improved my skills. With this new approach, I feel a deeper sense of connection and experience more success when providing care to people with diabetes.
The good news is that we are ready to share these techniques with you. We have reassembled the Embark Instructional team to provide the evidence-based tools and the step-by-step approach in our ReVive 5 Diabetes Training Program.
We distilled the most important skills and content from the Embark study and packaged it into our four-session ReVive 5 Program.
ReVive 5 Training Program – First session FREE
Our first ReVive 5 class of the four-session series starts November 1st. Good news! As part of our opening launch celebration, we are inviting you to join the first training session for FREE.
For this newsletter, we feature interviews from the Embark Training and Research Team. Enjoy the wisdom of these two amazing pioneers in the field of Diabetes Distress. Plus, Coach Beverly shares the impact of the trial on her approach.
If you feel like a challenge, take a moment to check out our Question and Rationale of the Week. We are excited to announce our New and Improved Online University is up and running. You are invited to stop by, kick off your shoes and get comfy.
In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are honored to share the poem, “Remember” by Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo.
Thank you for caring and advocating on behalf of people living with diabetes. With gratitude,
Beverly, Bryanna, and Amanda
Featured Articles
Upcoming Webinars
Whether you are a novice or an expert in providing diabetes care, we invite you to attend this exciting training program that provides the essential steps to address diabetes distress combined with an innovative approach to glucose management that will revolutionize your practice.
“ReVive 5” breathes new life into our relationship with diabetes, bringing a fresh perspective to both the person with diabetes and the provider.
By releasing old habits that no longer serve us, we have the opportunity to create a new life tool kit toolkit in partnership with the person living with diabetes.
The ReVive 5 program is built on international research study results and will revolutionize your approach to diabetes self-management education.
Team of Experts:
ReVive 5 is taught by a team of 3 Interdisciplinary Experts:
Training Program Includes:
Don’t worry if you can’t make it live. Your registration guarantees access to the recorded version in the Online University.
All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
September 2022 eNews | Boosting Nutrition Health & Jumping for Joy
We are experiencing a food crisis. Ten percent of Americans in every state, across rural and urban households, experienced food insecurity at least some time during 2020. With food prices on the rise, how do we help people with prediabetes and diabetes make healthy food choices within their means? There is good news! A national nutrition task force has unveiled its findings and ambitious strategies to improve nutrition access and reduce diet-related diseases. These thought leaders and food experts have outlined an innovative plan to address the food crisis by increasing nutrition education and access, including funding cooking classes and more.
Good news in diabetes tech. The first ever tubeless integrated insulin delivery system was just FDA approved for toddlers 2 years old and up. Parents and providers alike are celebrating this latest advance in insulin delivery technology for kids and adults alike.
We all know that exercise is good for you, but does it elicit feelings of joy? A researcher has identified a series of one-minute movements that not only improve coordination, balance, and strength but also bring a smile to your face. Give it a try and invite your friends and family to join you in Jumping for Joy.
In preparation for our 25th year anniversary, we are adopting a higher tech Online University Learning Platform. This means easier navigation and more bells and whistles for our subscribers. We plan to make the switch in early Fall, so keep your eyes open for more info as we get closer to the date.
Finally, we are thrilled to announce two Flower Scholars for our October Virtual DiabetesEd Course. They are making a big difference in their communities, and we are overjoyed to celebrate both of them.
You and your colleagues are invited to join our three FREE Webinars this month. If you feel like a challenge, take a moment to check out our Question and Rationale of the Week.
Thank you in advance for your actions and advocacy on behalf of people living with diabetes.
Beverly, Bryanna, Robert, and Amanda
Click here to read our full September 2022 newsletter.
Featured Articles
Upcoming Webinars
What we say matters.
As educators, advocates, spouses, friends, and providers, our use of language can deeply affect the self-view of people living with diabetes every day.
Intentional communication is a powerful tool that can uncover trauma, identify barriers, and move both the provider and person with diabetes toward a greater understanding of the issues involved.
The language used in the health care setting is immensely important in determining trust, mutual respect, and meaningful long-term relationships.
Topics covered include:
This mini-webinar is free, and no CEs are provided, but there is lots of great info!
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
Accreditation: Diabetes Education Services is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider 12640, and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), Provider DI002. Since these programs are approved by the CDR it satisfies the CE requirements for the CDCES regardless of your profession.*
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
LS tells you that they frequently attend company mixers where they feel compelled to have at “least a few drinks”, to fit in and network. The tricky part of this scenario is that LS lives with type 1 diabetes. Since they don’t have a working pancreas, their circulating levels of insulin and glucagon are often mismatched to their body’s needs.
When discussing the situation, LS says they feel confident they can handle alcohol and prevent lows since they have lived with type 1 diabetes for over ten years. LS shares, “I feel comfortable recognizing when both arrows are pointing down and I am heading for a glucose crash”.
As educators, we are committed to taking person-centered approach while encouraging safe practices.
In regards to LS, we realize alcohol’s impact on the thought process and blood glucose levels. We know that alcohol can affect critical thinking and possibly impair recognition of an impending hypoglycemic event. Inebriation also has many symptoms in common with hypoglycemia. Plus, alcohol consumption slows glycogen breakdown in the liver, which increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Lastly, based on a study published in Endocrinology Advisor, higher levels of alcohol in the blood can delay and blunt the effectiveness of glucagon rescue medications.
In the worst-case scenario, if LS experiences severe low blood sugar and passes out, alcohol ingestion can blunt the effectiveness of the glucagon rescue medications.
Alcohol and Glucagon Pathophysiology Review
The body considers alcohol a toxin and as soon as it reaches the bloodstream, the liver prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol and breaking it down. During this clean-up process, the liver is distracted from responding to endogenous glucagon, the hormone that signals the liver to break down glycogen for energy and liberate glucose into the bloodstream. This clean-up can last for up to 8 hours, making delayed hypoglycemia a real possibility.
When a person with type 1 diabetes drink alcohol, they at increased risk of hypoglycemia because the liver isn’t breaking down stored glycogen to increase blood glucose levels.
Let’s get back to LS. What if LS is drinking gin and diet tonics and only munching on low-carb vegetables and cheeses during the mixer? LS is not ingesting many carbohydrates, so glycogen stores may be low and the liver is busy cleaning up the alcohol and blood sugars start dropping. By the 4th drink, LS isn’t thinking very clearly, says they “feel funny” and passes out.
A colleague of LS carries a glucagon emergency kit and provides LS with a dose and calls 911. After 15 minutes, LS still hasn’t regained consciousness, so a second dose is administered. The paramedics arrive and check the glucose, it is 53.
Simply put, glucagon rescue medications may not work if the person drinks too much alcohol.
After reviewing the package inserts of all available US manufactured Glucagon Rescue Meds, there are no warnings for alcohol intake decreasing the effectiveness of glucagon rescue meds. So, I dug a little deeper and found a decent study on the topic which describes the impact of alcohol ingestion on glucose-regulating hormones.
I also found a very helpful monograph published by Lilly Baqsimi in Canada. Baqsimi is a powdered glucagon rescue medication that is delivered nasally. The Baqsimi monograph clearly states several warnings, “Alcohol can suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis and chronic alcoholism can deplete liver glycogen stores. Therefore BAQSIMI may be less effective in presence of acute or chronic alcohol ingestion. Alcohol-induced hypoglycemia is associated with a failure of blood glucose levels to rise normally after glucagon administration. BAQSIMI may not work if the person drinks too much alcohol.“.
Keeping it Real and Safe
In conclusion, having a conversation with people with type 1 about the suppressive nature of alcohol on glycogen release for many hours after consuming alcohol is very important. Another important teaching point is that glucagon rescue meds may not be as effective and timely in raising glucose to safe levels.
As a general rule of thumb, encouraging people with type 1 to eat 15gms of carbs with each drink and have a glass of water in between, may help make sure they have enough circulating carbs and slow the pace of alcohol consumption to help the liver with processing. They may also consider decreasing their insulin dose in association with alcohol intake to prevent this serious side effect.
Download our Glucagon Rescue Med PocketCard for more information here.
Whether you are new to diabetes or a seasoned expert, you’ll benefit from this virtual conference with the latest research plus critical content that you can immediately apply to your clinical practice.
Download Course Flyer | Download Schedule
If you are seeking a state-of-the-art review of current diabetes care, this course is for you. Our team has been fine-tuning this course for over fifteen years, and we know what you need. This program can also be a great addition to your CDCES or BC-ADM exam study plan.
Team of expert faculty includes:
Don’t worry if you can’t make it live. Your registration guarantees access to the recorded version in the Online University.
All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.
July 2022 eNews | 3 Steps to”DeFeet” Amputations in People with Diabetes
It’s officially summer. What better season to celebrate feet and lower extremities!
My passion for lower extremity advocacy began with my work at Stanford Hospital over 25 years ago. A kind-hearted man was admitted to the vascular unit with an infected foot ulcer and osteomyelitis. Despite days of antibiotic therapy and wound care, a partial foot amputation was required. He was devastated by this loss and so was I.
Here is the real tragedy. I am sure this amputation could have been prevented with some simple foot care education.
For this newsletter issue, we have put together a toolkit full of foot care resources that we are excited to share with you, including a FREE Webinar on 3 Steps to Save Feet.
Amputation rates are on the rise. We hope by sharing these tools and information, we reverse this trend and save limbs.
The great thing about foot care education is that all health care professionals can engage in sharing the prevention strategies outlined in our free handouts. Just think of all the unnecessary suffering we can prevent by looking at feet, providing education, and taking action on any unusual foot findings.
I think our foot care motto from Stanford Hospital says it best, “Lift the Sheets and Look at the Feets”. Let’s just start with this first step.
We are also overjoyed to announce that we are providing two Flower Scholarships that cover the cost of our Fall Virtual DiabetesEd Course. Applications are now being accepted.
Thank you in advance for your actions and advocacy on behalf of people living with diabetes.
Beverly, Bryanna, Robert, and Amanda
Featured Articles
Upcoming FREE Webinars
All health care professionals are invited to join us to learn strategies to protect lower extremities during this FREE Webinar.
Coach Beverly will walk participants through the 3 Step Process to Save Feet; Assess, Screen and Report. She will provide simple and clear instructions on how to assess and inspect feet, along with risk assessment and action steps. We will share free teaching tools, strategies, and documentation forms adapted from the Lower Extremity Prevention Program (LEAP) that you can immediately implement in your practice setting.
CEs: 1.0 CEs for $19 or No CEs for FREE
Topics include:
3 Steps to Save Feet – Assess, Screen, Report Handout. This handout walks health care professionals through the steps involved in a 10-minute foot assessment and monofilament screening. Also includes a Screening Form to document and report findings.
Foot Care Teaching Sheet: This handout covers the important elements of foot care for people living with diabetes with simple and straightforward language.
Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, BC-ADM, CDCES
Author, Nurse, Educator, Clinician and Innovator, Beverly has specialized in diabetes management for over twenty years. As president and founder of Diabetes Educational Services, Beverly is dedicated to optimizing diabetes care and improving the lives of those with diabetes.
People with diabetes are at increased risk of foot complications. By using a 5.07 monofilament (delivers 10gms of linear pressure) to assess for loss of sensation, diabetes health care professionals can immediately identify high-risk feet and take steps to protect lower extremities. Basic foot care education and intervention can reduce the risk of amputation by over 50 percent.
We are excited to provide these single-use 5.07 monofilaments in packs of 20.
We have included instructions on how to assess and inspect feet, along with risk assessment and action steps. We enhanced the teaching tools and forms from the Lower Extremity Prevention Program (LEAP) and are excited to share them with our community of diabetes advocates.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.