Subscribe
eNewsletter
Ready to get certified?
Free CDCES Coach App
Download
Free Med Pocket Cards
eNewsletter
Free CDCES Coach App
Free Med Pocket Cards
Our July newsletter is packed with timely content you won’t want to miss. Plus, celebrate summer with our Sizzling Sale and get 20% off all Online Courses!
We sat down with ADA Outstanding Educator of the Year recipient Dr. Diana Isaacs and asked her a slew of interview questions. She generously shared her insights on the future of diabetes, the importance of connection, and doled out plenty of words of wisdom for us diabetes professionals. Congratulations, Diana, on a well-deserved award; we are so proud of you.
Coach Beverly discusses the intersection of diabetes and cancer. The article includes a summary of chemotherapy-induced hyperglycemia, along with treatment strategies. Join our upcoming webinar on July 21st, along with the article below for a comprehensive review.
Continued below…
The next article breaks down the newly announced Medicare Bridge Program for Weight Management. It includes prescribing information and eligibility requirements for Medicare Coverage.
Our guest contributor, Lilly Mees, LMSW, CDCES, explores how an individual’s self-efficacy affects their ability to manage diabetes. Read more and plan to join Lilly’s webinar on July 23rd.
Lastly, we consider equitable care for people with diabetes who live with hearing impairment or deafness. Learn more about a DSME program that incorporates American Sign Language.
Don’t forget our Question of the Week, the July 20th deadline for Scholar applications, and our Sizzling Summer Sale.
With hearts full of gratitude,
Coach Beverly, Bryanna, Ashlie, and Katarina
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!
A 58-year-old man without a history of diabetes is receiving treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor for metastatic melanoma. Four months after beginning therapy, he presents with polyuria, weight loss, nausea, and fatigue.
Laboratory findings include:
Which mechanism most likely explains this sudden hyperglycemia?
🌟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!
For last week’s practice question, we quizzed participants on self-efficacy and DSMES. 56% of respondents chose the best answer. We want to clarify and share this important information, so you can pass it on to people living with diabetes and your colleagues, plus prepare for exam success!
Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer it by clicking here.
A person with diabetes comes to your clinic and states she lost her spouse 18 months ago. She continues to have prolonged grief, shame, and guilt. She expresses how this is negatively impacting her having diabetes.
What is the best way to respond to increase her self-efficacy within DSMES?
Answer A is incorrect. 19.35% chose this answer, “Use motivation interviewing to help increase her self-management behaviors.” This answer is incorrect. Motivational interviewing is used as one component within a broader, structured psychotherapy called prolonged-grief therapy.
Answer B is incorrect. 8.06% of you chose this answer, “Help facilitate a support group to assist in problem solving.” This answer is incorrect. Individual psychotherapy has the strongest evidence verses for prolonged grief disorder.
Answer is incorrect. About 16.94% of respondents chose this: “Assist her with goal setting to address areas of her life she wants to improve.” This answer is incorrect. Goal setting alone is not the preferred treatment for someone with persistent grief 18 months after spousal loss. CBT or prolonged grief therapy 1st line of treatment.
Finally, Answer D is correct. 55.65% chose this answer, “Refer her to a counselor to help and address other areas of DSMES.” This answer is correct. The preferred first line treatment for a patient with persistent, impairing grief 18 months after spousal loss is grief-focused psychotherapy, specifically prolonged-grief therapy.
We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Question of the Week and participate in this fun learning activity!
Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is essential for helping people with diabetes build knowledge and become empowered to manage their condition. Delivering the right content matters, and so does HOW that education is delivered. This course explores the behavioral strategies that support person-centered DSMES, helping you connect more effectively with the people you serve.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
SW is a 52-year-old living with type 2 diabetes. Over the past year, A1C increased from 7.1% to 8.2%, and blood pressure during their visit was 146/88 mmHg. They report increased fatigue, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and waking up several times during the night. SW works rotating night shifts at a manufacturing plant.
Which of the following responses would best align with the 2026 ADA Standards of Care?
Solve common glucose mysteries and optimize time-in-range for people with type 2 diabetes.
Why are glucose levels elevated in the morning? When should insulin be started? What is the next step to get A1c to target? During this course Coach Beverly addresses each of these glucose mysteries and more, using a person-centered approach. She describes a stepwise approach to evaluate glucose patterns and correct common issues encountered by people living with type 2 diabetes.
Course Topics:
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
A person with diabetes comes to your clinic and states she lost her spouse 18 months ago. She continues to have prolonged grief, shame, and guilt. She expresses how this is negatively impacting her having diabetes.
What is the best way to respond to increase her self-efficacy within DSMES?
🌟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 & President, DiabetesEd Services
For decades, healthcare professionals have cared for individuals diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects approximately 1 in 8 women worldwide. Yet many clinicians, researchers, and people living with the condition have long felt that the name never fully captured the complexity of what was happening beneath the surface.
In May 2026, a landmark international consensus published in the Lancet, officially renamed PCOS to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). This change emerged from more than a decade of collaboration among global experts, patient advocates, and professional organizations seeking a name that better reflects the condition’s true nature and broad health implications.
The term “polycystic ovary syndrome” has created confusion for years. Many people diagnosed with PCOS do not actually have ovarian cysts, while others with ovarian cysts do not have the syndrome. The previous name often led healthcare providers to focus primarily on reproductive concerns while overlooking significant metabolic and endocrine dysfunction.
The new name—Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome—highlights what many clinicians have recognized for years: this is a complex, whole-body condition involving hormonal regulation, metabolism, reproductive health, cardiovascular risk, and mental well-being.
As healthcare professionals, we know that language shapes understanding. A diagnosis is often the first framework through which a person interprets their health condition.
When the name focuses narrowly on ovaries and cysts, important aspects of care can be missed. The new terminology helps communicate that PMOS is not simply a reproductive disorder—it is a lifelong endocrine and metabolic condition requiring multidisciplinary care. Experts hope the renaming will reduce stigma, improve diagnostic accuracy, and stimulate greater research investment in prevention and treatment strategies.
This shift is reminiscent of the transition from NAFLD to MASLD, where updated terminology was designed to better reflect underlying pathophysiology and reduce misunderstanding. In both cases, language serves as a tool to improve clinical care and patient outcomes.
As a healthcare professional providing care to people with diabetes, you are likely to encounter individuals with undiagnosed and undertreated PMOS. Since insulin resistance is an underlying disorder in both conditions, there is a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and PMOS.
You can be on the lookout for individuals with PMOS and advocate for diagnosis and evidence-based treatments. These individuals may be struggling to cope with the complex metabolic and social consequences associated with PMOS.
PMOS, is a complex condition that can present differently from person to person. While some individuals experience reproductive symptoms, others may first notice metabolic changes or signs of excess androgen activity.
Not everyone with PMOS has overweight or obesity. Up to 20–30% of individuals may have a normal BMI yet still experience insulin resistance, androgen excess, ovulatory dysfunction, or cardiometabolic risk. This is one reason why relying solely on weight can lead to delayed diagnosis.
When working with individuals who have PMOS, consider:
Many people living with PMOS have spent years feeling dismissed or misunderstood. A whole-person approach that validates their experiences can be just as important as the pharmacologic interventions we recommend.
The central focus is on improving metabolic health, managing symptoms, and supporting individual goals such as fertility or diabetes prevention.
Lifestyle interventions – including regular physical activity, nutritious foods, adequate sleep, and stress management, remain the foundation of care.
Medications– the following medications are used to improve glucose levels, decrease insulin resistance and support a healthy weight.
Combined hormonal contraceptives can help regulate menstrual cycles and reduce symptoms of androgen excess, while spironolactone may be prescribed for acne or excess hair growth.
Assessing for Co-Conditions – Given the increased risk of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, and mental health concerns, comprehensive screening and a person-centered, multidisciplinary approach are essential components of long-term PMOS care.
Many people with PMOS spend years seeking answers before receiving a diagnosis. Symptoms such as weight changes, irregular periods, acne, or excess hair growth can carry significant emotional burdens. Approaching these conversations with curiosity, empathy, and non-stigmatizing language can help foster trust and improve engagement in care.
PMOS is far more than a reproductive condition. It is a lifelong endocrine and metabolic disorder that may affect reproductive health, glucose metabolism, cardiovascular risk, sleep, and emotional well-being. Recognizing the early signs can lead to earlier intervention and better long-term outcomes.
The renaming to PMOS offers an opportunity for diabetes health care professionals to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and advocate for best care.
Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
CEO & President, DiabetesEd Services
Are you a healthcare professional providing diabetes care in an under-resourced community? Are you working toward earning your certification in diabetes education (CDCES or BC-ADM?)
If yes, please consider applying for our Bridge Scholarship, which covers the registration cost for the DiabetesEd Training Conference in San Diego, Oct 22-23, 2026 (value of $559). This program will provide you with the content needed to prepare for mastery-level diabetes certification and beyond!
Recipients will be awarded the Training Conference reg fee, including the live program, printed syllabus, 30+ CE’s, plus access to the online bonus courses for one year! Applications Due on July 20th, 2026
🌟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!
