‘We are resilient’: ADCES president highlights changes, challenges during COVID-19
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The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists began 2020 with a new name and new vision but was soon confronted with unprecedented public health emergencies that offered both challenges and opportunities, according to a speaker.
“The year that began as the dawning of the diabetes care and education specialist turned almost overnight into the year of SARS-CoV-2, and then social unrest,” Kellie Antinori-Lent, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES, a diabetes clinical nurse specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside Hospital and 2020 ADCES president, said during an online presentation at the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists annual meeting. “We went from having a complete focus on our new vision for the specialty — upscaling to synchronize our skill sets and spreading the news of our modernized name — to also being quarantined, deployed to frontline care, pivoting to telehealth, and realizing the extent of systemic racism. But we are strong, and we are resilient. We are devoted to helping people, caring for them, and building trusting relationships with them.”
The year of challenges allowed diabetes care and education specialists to do what they are best known for, Antinori-Lent said: Adapt and forge ahead.
“Together, ADCES members, diabetes care and education specialists and the dedicated ADCES staff have created an association that can respond to any shift in the landscape, and is laser-focused on making sure that our specialty is recognized for the value we bring and the exceptional work that we do,” Antinori-Lent said.
Antinori-Lent highlighted several ADCES accomplishments for 2020 in the midst of ever-changing news.
- As the COVID-19 pandemic affected how and where care would be provided, ADCES launched an advocacy campaign to ensure diabetes self-management education and support, or DSMES services, are available to people with diabetes who need it via telehealth. “We worked with you to amplify your voices and let CMS know your concerns,” Antinori-Lent said. “Close to 700 of you sent letters to CMS asking them to expand telehealth for RNs and pharmacists.” As Healio reported, in response to such efforts, CMS has updated guidance to clarify that all accredited diabetes self-management training providers may furnish and bill for telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- ADCES collaborated with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to create a professional continuous glucose monitoring “playbook” that “cements diabetes care and education specialists as leaders in technology and data interpretation.” The organization also developed a new CGM certificate program this year. In the August issue of The Diabetes Educator, two technology papers focus on integrating technology into practice and leveraging technology to achieve outcomes
- ADCES published an updated version of its self-care behavior framework, incorporating the latest advances in behavioral health, the expanded roles of diabetes care and education specialists and more than a decade’s worth of updates in diabetes technology. “We recognize that healthy coping must begin before true learning can occur,” Antinori-Lent said. “It’s imperative that we include mental health evaluations and interventions when working with an individual with diabetes, but then also know when to make a referral to a mental health professional. As such, it is a prominent pillar of the ADCES Vision and is now centrally located in the revised AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors that were released this past January.”
- A consensus report on DSMES for adults with type 2 diabetes was published earlier this year and updated 2015 guidance. The updated report includes representatives from four additional national associations to offer enriched expertise and clarifies the four critical times for DSMES referral with primary care providers.
- Along with an organization name change launched in January, ADCES also updated credentials and competencies for diabetes care and education specialists, Antinori-Lent said. “The goal was to align the new competencies with our new vision framework and recognize that DCESs are a key part of the interprofessional team.”
“These are just a few of the initiatives and activities we have taken to support your work and role in the care team, but it must not end there,” Antinori-Lent said. “It is now your turn to take these tools and leverage them in your health systems and practices. Be the voice of technology. Be advocates for behavioral health integration. Be champions of racial equity. This is your time to step confidently into your role as a central component of the diabetes care team.”
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Antinori-Lent K. President’s address. Presented at: Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists Annual Meeting; Aug. 13 - 16, 2020; (virtual meeting).
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