On a personal note, it has been a true joy co-teaching with Diana at our live San Diego Conference and our Virtual Conference. I am always amazed at how she can take very complex topics and make them ridiculously understandable. But, more importantly, she never forgets to include the importance of seeing beyond the numbers and recognizing the importance of connection with each person. Through her conviction to provide the highest level of care, she inspires us all to do better. I invite you to watch Diana’s interview, her ADA Award presentation or to meet her live in San Diego. I guarantee, you will be inspired!
Dr. Diana Isaacs
PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, BC-ADM, FADCES, FCCP
What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
It’s such an incredible honor, and I am looking forward to this hopefully giving me an even bigger platform to educate even more healthcare professionals. Even though I am a single person earning this award, it is only possible through amazing collaborations, including Beverly Thomassian with the DiabetesEd courses.
In my last 10 years at Cleveland Clinic, I’ve had the great fortune to work with incredible people and have many resources at my fingertips. I provide care to a diverse patient population from all over, so I’ve gained a lot of experience working with people from all walks of life. I’m also grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as a member of the professional practice committee, the committee that updates the ADA standards of care, the scientific meeting planning committee, and the National T1D Committee, just to name a few.
On a personal level, it was very special to have my kids and husband attend my award talk. I hope it helps my kids understand why mommy travels and, on some level, inspires them in their future careers.
What do you believe separates basic diabetes care and education from truly transformative diabetes care and education?
The secret sauce is actually quite simple: “to individualize our care and not offer a cookie-cutter curriculum.” My award lecture was titled:
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to use professional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in combination with diabetes education early on, before it was as widely available as it is today. The CGM data allows the person with diabetes to experience firsthand how food, physical activity, sleep, etc., affect their glucose levels.
However, we are now in a time when tech is much more accessible, and it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and data. We must remember that there is a story behind every number. Take time to ask and listen to the person’s story.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing diabetes professionals today?
There are a lot of people with diabetes; the latest statistics show over 14% of adults and another 38% with prediabetes. There is a shortage of endocrinologists and diabetes providers, as well as of diabetes care and education specialists. We need to think creatively about how to reach people, including virtual visits, shared medical appointments, digital tools, and social media. It would be great if we could also recruit more people into this rewarding profession.
What advances in diabetes care or technology are you most excited about right now?
There are so many things! There are advances in T1D prevention and cure, with teplizumab now approved for stage 2 and new-onset stage 3 T1D, and more agents under study. There is promising data with stem cell transplants allowing people with T1D to no longer require insulin injections. The technology is better than ever. The future promises more tubeless insulin pumps and even better insulin adjustment algorithms. The medication landscape is incredible, with new GLP-1 drugs on the horizon, like the triple agonist retatrutide and the first weekly amylin-GLP-1 drug, cagrilinitide-semaglutide. I’m super excited about using these drugs for obesity, preventing type 2 diabetes, and the hope of moving people with type 2 diabetes into remission.
How do you see the role of diabetes educators evolving over the next decade?
AI is exploding in terms of its capabilities. I love the quote, “AI won’t replace humans, but humans that use AI will replace humans that don’t.” You can substitute human for the Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (DCES). I look forward to all the ways AI can help us, like capturing patient conversations and summarizing our interaction in clinical notes. There is also AI embedded in digital tools that can be helpful, especially since diabetes is a 24-hour condition and people are with their healthcare teams for only a limited time. No matter how good AI becomes, it will never be able to replace human connection, and therefore, I think the DCES will remain more important than ever.
Coach Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM and Diana Isaacs PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, BC-ADM, FADCES, FCCP at ADCES Conference in Arizona
AI is exploding in terms of its capabilities. I love the quote, “AI won’t replace humans, but humans that use AI will replace humans that don’t.” You can substitute human for the Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (DCES). I look forward to all the ways AI can help us, like capturing patient conversations and summarizing our interaction in clinical notes. There is also AI embedded in digital tools that can be helpful, especially since diabetes is a 24-hour condition and people are with their healthcare teams for only a limited time. No matter how good AI becomes, it will never be able to replace human connection, and therefore, I think the DCES will remain more important than ever.
Just do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It shows you have specialized expertise, which can bring on new career opportunities. Gaining certifications gave me much more confidence in my knowledge and care for people with diabetes, and I have no doubt it helped me get my current role at Cleveland Clinic and helped me be selected for many of the wonderful opportunities I’ve had throughout my career.
How can experienced educators help mentor and support the next generation of diabetes care professionals?
The Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CBDCE) actually has a mentorship program that you could register for. But there are always informal opportunities to mentor future diabetes healthcare professionals. You can reach out to current students and offer them the opportunity to shadow you. You could volunteer to serve as a site for precepting students in your discipline. For example, I really love working with pharmacy students, and it’s been so great to see many of them go on to pursue CDCES and/or BC-ADM and work in diabetes.
What continues to bring you joy and purpose in your work?
Being a pharmacist specializing in medications and specifically in diabetes, has allowed me to help so many people. Diabetes management is just as much of an art as a science. There are constantly new therapies and technologies coming out, which keep it interesting, but people are complex, and I see so many challenging cases. I love being able to push myself and then share the things I’m learning with others.
What is one lesson you've learned from people living with diabetes that has stayed with you throughout your career?
We often don’t have control over our circumstances, but we do have control over our attitude. We can choose to see the positive or complain about the negative. Diabetes is hard, so I want to do whatever I can to make it easier for someone and showcase the positive. For example, when I am looking at a person’s CGM data, even if it shows 2% time in range, I can always find something positive. They showed up for their appointment and are wearing a CGM. This is more motivating and can build rapport, which opens the doors to a better human connection and our ability to help the person.
What were some of the key takeaways from your award talk?
My journey began because I wanted to make a difference, and I had people who believed in me.
As a pharmacist in this space, I’ve been able to contribute my knowledge of medication and how they work with technology. The rate of advancements over the last decade has been incredible, and it’s likely to continue even faster.
Waymo may replace Uber drivers, but I am doubtful AI could ever replace the diabetes care and education specialist because we have the human touch.
Please remember that behind every number is a story; start the conversation so you can hear the story.
We all have the potential to be great; believe in yourself, believe in your patients. We can all do more than we think.
Read Article | Watch Interview
Join Dr. Diana Isaacs at our live
DiabetesEd Training Program in San Diego
Brand new agenda for 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
Advance Your Expertise and Prepare for Your Future
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.
Day 1 – ADA/AACE Standards of Care Boot Camp
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.
Day 2 – Insulin, Tech, MNT and Case Studies
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.
Add-On Day 3 – Engaging the Disengaged
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
🌟Registration Options at a Glance
📜 Essentials
Registration
+ Printed Syllabus
$559.00
🌟 Deluxe
Essentials
+ ADA Standards Book
$589.00
🏆 Complete – Best Value!
Deluxe
+ ADCES Review Guide e-Book
$669.00
5 Reasons to Attend
- Led by national experts 👩⚕️Dr. Diana Isaacs (Cleveland Clinic), Coach Beverly 🧢 (30+ years of experience), and Christine Craig (nutrition whiz).
- 🌴 Location makes for a great vacation
- Networking, walking paths, connection
- Ready yourself for the diabetes future🚀
- Have fun, win prizes, play DiaBingo 😄
What's Included?
- 🍽️ Healthy breakfasts, lunch, refreshments and coffee ☕
- 📘 100-page printed syllabus
- 🎤 2 days of engaging, expert-led education with case studies.
- 🎓 12 FREE online courses ($375 value)
- Free MedPocketCard & Coach Bev’s Book 📗 Healing through Connection.
Add on a 3rd Day!
Enroll in
ENGAGING THE DISENGAGED
Strategies for Promoting Behavior Change in Diabetes
October 24, 2026
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!
