Coach Bev and Anne are safe at Diabetes Education Services

So many have reached out to check in on us and we appreciate your outpouring of love and support.

Diabetes Education Services is open and ready to serve. Our office is located in Chico, CA which is about 10 miles west of Paradise and the Camp Fire.

Coach Beverly and Anne are safe and sound and determined to keep moving forward and provide services to our Diabetes Education Community. 

Camp Fire in Paradise and Surrounding Communities

As you have heard on the news, the town of Paradise and surrounding areas have been completely devastated.

Most of the homes and businesses are gone and there is only scorched earth in its place.

For twenty years, I have driven up the hill to Paradise on Tuesdays, to run the diabetes program at Adventist Health, Feather River Hospital.

I loved that small community hospital, all the patients I get to work with and our amazing diabetes education staff. Together, we built an ADA Recognized Diabetes Program, a thriving support group and we launched a wildly popular Diabetes Prevention Program in January 2018.

Very sadly, the hospital is partially burnt down and many of the surrounding clinics are completely gone. It is a miracle that the courageous nurses and hospital staff were able to evacuate all the patients to safety while fire was raging all around them. They are such amazing heroes and I am forever thankful for their courage and dedication.

The future of our Diabetes Education and Prevention Program is unknown, but we will figure out a way to provide this critical service to our community in the near future. I am very worried about several of my patients whom I have known for years and have become such an important part of my life. I hope to hear from them soon.  

How you can help:

So many of you have asked how you can help. Most people fled their home with only the clothes on their back and their pets. The shelters are overwhelmed with food and clothing donations.

What is needed now is donations to emergency relief funds.

Here are a few reputable organizations that you can feel good contributing to knowing that the funds will get to the people who need it most.

• North Valley Community Foundation – fund is going to support the needs of the evacuation centers who opened their doors to support the people who lost their homes and are fleeing the fire.
• Caring Choices Chico: 100% of your donation will be used to directly offer aid to those in need. Donors can indicate if they are making a contribution or a donation to a specific person, area or need.
• The American Red Cross: Visit the Red Cross’ special donation page or call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• The Salvation Army: A special page, SalArmyCampFire.org, has been created to accept donations. People can also call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) and specify “Camp Fire” for designated funds.

Thank you again for all your kindness and concern!

With love,

Coach Beverly & Anne

November Newsletter is here!

by Coach Beverly
Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES^®, BC-ADM

November Newsletter now available!

The theme of this Diabetes Month Celebration focuses on the family unit. Families play an active role in preventing diabetes, supporting each other in making healthier choices and coaching each other to keep moving forward! Articles include:

• Diabetes Concerns Every Family
• Flu Risk – Vaccines Save Lives
• Holiday Survival Guide
• and more! 

Click here to read our newsletter!

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Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

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Check out our latest Blog Bytes >>

We apologize for the inconvenience, please enjoy other recent Blog Byte:

Recent Blog Bytes:

Mindful Monday | Daylight Savings – Tips to stay healthy during the dark days
Diabetes and Obesity Increase Flu Risk – Vaccinations Save Lives
Free Resource Friday – Preparing for the CDCES Exam Webinar!
Happy Diabetes Month – Toolkits and Resources
Don’t Be Spooked by Leftover Halloween Candy – 7 Strategies

Research conducted by the University of Queensland has shown that the increased prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and above target weight, will cause more hospitalizations if there is a major flu outbreak.

A factor contributing to this likelihood, is that people who are above target weight or have diabetes, are more likely to get the flu. Plus, this same group is often antibiotic resistant.  Which means they may not respond to antibiotics if they get a secondary infection. This can turn a mild flu season into a severe outbreak.

Individuals who are obese or have diabetes “are more likely to be hospitalised or die from the flu,” though it is not yet fully understood why this is the case. These conditions may have a significant affect on immune response which protects against foreign virus’. The inability to fight off a virus may cause a rapid spread of infectious disease.

Everyone over the age of six months should get an annual flu vaccine.

• Click here to type in your zip code and find a flu clinic near you.
• Click Here for CDC Flu Facts and lots of helpful resources!

Scientist believe that the next flu pandemic is eminent as the rates of chronic disease and antibiotic resistance continue to increase. This pandemic may mirror the 1918 Spanish flu that killed between 50-100 million people.

Antibiotic resistance also plays a key role in the spread of infectious diseases. In 1918, many people perished due to the lack of antibiotics. We are now facing a similar situation as many bacteria are becoming resistant to these antibiotics.  Climate change may also have a significant impact on the immune response as risk for malnutrition from crop losses increases. Climate change is also affecting animal behavior, such as bird migration patterns, “which can contribute to the spread of the flu.”

Dr. van de Sandt of the University of Queensland states that, “there is a lot to be concerned about, and we still don’t have a vaccine to protect against all the strains of influenza.” Developing a new vaccine is the next big step in preventing this pandemic. Decreasing the rates of diabetes and above target weight will also make a significant impact on immunity and flu prevention.

For more information, visit Rise of diabetes could exacerbate future flu pandemics.

An abundance of research supports getting adequate sleep for adequate growth and overall health. Health risks increase when an individual is sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation increases risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and insulin resistance.

In addition, new research by the academic journal “Sleep,” has shown that,”Social Jet Lag” waking up at different times on the weekends vs. weekdays, may increase the risk of heart disease.

Current research by Duke University Medical Center demonstrated that individuals with what is referred to as “social jet lag” may also have an increased risk of depression and stress than subjects who woke up at the same time consistently. The connection thus far is not clear as some researchers believe that, “poor sleep interferes with the body’s metabolism which can lead to weight gain” which creates a vicious cycle of poor sleep and weight gain. Previous studies have also shown that a varied sleep schedule can lead to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The authors conclude that further research is needed to determine why individuals who get less sleep are gaining weight and increasing their risk for cardiometabolic conditions.

For more information on “social jet lag” and its effects on cardiometabolic health, visit A regular bedtime may benefit your heart and metabolism”

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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!

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This Friday, we are happy to offer our student favorite, DiaBingo – Makes Learning about Diabetes fun!

An educational tool to increase knowledge of diabetes self-management terms and goals of care. In Spanish and English.

Players learn about diabetes management while having fun! A must have for support groups and in the classroom setting.
Perfect for Diabetes Awareness Activities. Up to 30 Can play! English on one side, Spanish on the other. 

• 2 DiaBingo Master Question and Answer Sheets
• 30 DiaBingo Answer Cards

. DiaBingo is now available to download for free in English and Spanish!

Simply print out the player cards and choose items to use as markers to get started.

The questions are designed by our experts to help players become informed about diabetes and self-care in an upbeat and entertaining way. You are welcome to customize these questions as needed to make it relevant to your group.

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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!

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Click here to download image

Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci18-0033
A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

This new consensus statement is a summary of findings based on a comprehensive literature search of peer reviewed articles published from 2014 to February 2018.

Here are some key statements from the Principles of Care Section that really stood out. In addition, the Decision Cycle Chart below, is an excellent summary of person centered considerations to determine the best path to take when deciding upon lifestyle and medication therapy.

Key concepts that I found intriguing and helpful from this section:

• The greatest risk reduction comes from improving poor glycemic control. There is a more modest risk reduction with near normalization.  This statement helps educators to prioritize where we put our efforts, knowing that the greatest health improvement comes when we help PWD with higher A1cs levels get to target.
• Keep the care centered around the person with diabetes. Acknowledge that they often have multi-morbidities and other real barriers to self care including cost of therapy, mental health issues and competing priorities.
• All people with type 2 diabetes need access to ongoing DSMES Programs.  DSMES programs are evidenced based and cost effective. They promote medication adherence, healthy eating, activity and improve self-efficacy.

Therapeutic inertia, also called clinical inertia, refers to the lack of action even when blood glucose targets are above target. This is something I have frequently seen in my diabetes practice. A common example of this is a PWD on two to three different diabetes medication and basal insulin, with an A1c is greater than 9%, yet no changes in therapy are made for months or years.  The causes of this inertia may complex, but can be a result of the provider, person with diabetes or the health care system.

To avoid or stop Clinical inertia, here are recommended strategies:

• Evaluate the PWD medication taking persistence. Are they taking their medication at least 80% of the time? If not, explore the barriers and engage in problem solving.
• Reassess and modify treatment at least every three months to avoid clinical inertia
• Engage multidisciplinary teams that include nurse practitioners, pharmacists and diabetes educators who can suggest or implement therapeutic changes to improve A1c levels.
• Create coordinated care models, which include the person with diabetes as an active participant.