We interviewed the founder of Diabetes Education Services to discover her personal and professional motivations to go from a floor nurse to a leader in the field of diabetes.

Question: Why Did You Become a CDCES?

Coach Beverly: Over 20 years ago, as the Manager of our Health Education Department at CIGNA (an HMO), our team decided that we wanted to become a magnet site for diabetes care and education in our community. To achieve this, we encouraged our entire team to study for their CDE (now CDCES) to showcase our dedication to providing the best diabetes care.

Question: Has Holding the CDCES Credential Provided You with Additional Professional Opportunities? Please share one or two examples.

Coach Beverly: Holding this credential has been the best professional decision of my career. Having a master’s degree plus my CDCES opened the door for me to be hired as the Diabetes Nurse Specialist at Stanford Hospital in 1994. Working at Stanford provided me the opportunity to initiate bold strategies to improve diabetes care and outcomes in a busy, demanding, and innovative teaching hospital. I learned how to manage very complex patients and build interdisciplinary professional teams to provide the best care from admission to discharge and beyond.

My experience as a Diabetes Specialist at Stanford Hospital gave me the confidence, clinical knowledge and courage to launch my own company.

In 1998, I applied for my first business license as Diabetes Education Services.  Our company is dedicated to helping health care professionals realize their dream of becoming certified diabetes specialists. In operation for over 20 years, our small but mighty organization is laser-focused on providing high-quality resources and services for our community of health care professionals.

I love coming to work every day and figuring out new ways of delivering content that is meaningful, evidence-based, and infused with compassion.

Without my CDCES, none of these life-changing opportunities would have been possible.

Question: What Would you Say to Someone Who is Considering Becoming a CDCES in the Future?

Coach Beverly: Welcome to our awesome community! Every day that I show up to work as a diabetes specialist, I feel that I am a part of something bigger. This community passionately and collectively works toward improving the care and quality of life for people living with diabetes. Diabetes specialists also have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, to teach individuals or groups, or on a community level to advocate for excellence in diabetes care. Even though I have worked in this field for over 20 years, I am challenged, I have the opportunity to role-model compassionate care and I love the people I get to work with.

Question: Share an Achievement or Special Moment You’ve had working as a CDCES?

Coach Beverly: An achievement that I am particularly proud of is the LifeChanger of the Year Award. I was nominated by a person with diabetes who attended our hospital’s diabetes self-management program we called “Diabetes Survival Camp.” She was an enthusiastic participant and brought her husband to each class.  After graduation, she started attending our monthly support group and shared a lot of helpful information. When I received the letter that she had nominated me for this prestigious national award and I had won, I was overjoyed and deeply touched. 

Her nomination reminded me that the everyday work we do touches people profoundly. 

We listen, help with problem-solving, and we lift people up who are discouraged. We celebrate their victories and we let them know through our words and gestures that we believe in them. There is no better job in the world.