Diabetes Care and Education Specialists Honored at Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists 2022 Annual Conference

BALTIMORE - Aug. 12, 2022 - Diabetes care and education specialists were recognized at the ADCES22 Annual Conference for their achievements in diabetes care and their dedication to the association.

Diabetes Care and Education Specialist of the Year Award

Honoring a diabetes care and education specialist who has made a special contribution to the field through dedication, innovation and sensitivity in care. This award is sponsored by Xeris Pharmaceuticals.

Anastasia Albanese-O'Neill, PhD, APRN, CDCES

Actively involved in diabetes care, education, advocacy and research since 2008, Albanese-O'Neill currently serves as the director of community screening and clinical trial education at JDRF where she focuses on accelerating progress toward a cure for type 1 diabetes. Previously, she was a faculty member and director of diabetes education and clinic operations at the University of Florida College of Medicine, division of pediatric endocrinology. One of her most significant contributions to the specialty has been creating a pathway for access to diabetes technologies that contributes to improved outcomes and quality of life for people with diabetes. Over the past 5 years, she has created innovative clinic workflows that support technology uptake, education and sustained use; openly shared best practices with members of the specialty; co-chaired an effort to develop diabetes technology competencies for the multidisciplinary care team; and raised her voice to advocate for an expanded role for diabetes care and education specialists as technology champions in clinical practice.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognizing the outstanding contributions and service to ADCES and honoring individuals who exemplify the proud history of diabetes care and education while serving as extraordinary role models.

Rear Admiral Kenneth Moritsugu MD, MPH, FACPM, FADCES

A previous ADCES Board member, Dr. Moritsugu is president and CEO of First Samurai Consulting, LLC, a firm specializing in health consulting focused on public health systems and policies and focusing on "putting the patient at the center of everything we do." He is also an adjunct professor of global health at the George Washington University School of Public Health, and adjunct associate professor of preventive medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His accomplishments are numerous and include serving as acting surgeon general of the United States in 2002 and again from July 2006 until his retirement from the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) in September 2007. An officer in the USPHS for 37 years, he served as the deputy surgeon general of the United States from 1998 until 2007. Dr. Moritsugu is a physician-administrator with extensive experience and a proven track record of successful leadership, policy development, program implementation, evaluation, and administration in a variety of health settings.

Allene Van Son Distinguished Service Award

In honor of the first ADCES president, this award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the association.

Susan Cornell BS, PharmD, CDCES, FAPhA, FADCES

Dr. Cornell is anassociate director of experiential education and professor in the department of pharmacy practice at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy (IL). She is also in clinical practice at the Bolingbrook Christian Health, where she trains, educates, and supervises students from the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, dental and health sciences, as they provide diabetes education classes, individual diabetes care and medication therapy management for patients in numerous underserved community clinics. She as a long history of service with various pharmacy and diabetes organizations, including ADCES. She served on the ADCES Board from 2004-07, has been active on many committees, and contributed to a variety of educational publications and programs. One thing that stands out is her dedication to ensuring that the next generation of pharmacists are aware of the specialty and ADCES, which is partly demonstrated by her annual tradition of having her students participate in the ADCES Annual Conference.

Donna Tomky Award for Excellence in Practice:

In memory of former ADCES President Donna Tomky, this award recognizes a member who advances the integration of self-management behaviors with clinical management through practice, health plan or heath system innovation.

Kathryn Godley MS, FNP-BC, CDCES

Recently retired, Godley was a nurse practitioner in the division of endocrinology at Albany (NY) Medical College where she specializes in providing endocrine care to kidney transplant recipients. Her diabetes-focused career spans 46 years, starting as a "diabetes teaching nurse" at the Joslin Diabetes Center. She has been an active ADCES member for much of that time. More recently, she is currently serving on the editorial advisory board for The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care, ADCES's core research journal. Godley is being recognized for her body of work as a skilled and professional nurse practitioner. As the committee said, "She is a true educator and outstanding clinician who always keeps the person with diabetes at the center of all that she undertakes."

ADCES Rising Star Award

Honoring diabetes care and education specialists who have less than five years of experience and have demonstrated leadership and commitment to diabetes care.

Rachel Stahl MS, RD, CDN, CDCES

Stahl is a registered dietitian and diabetes care and education specialist in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She is being recognized for her work in clinical care, her community outreach and her leadership in the nutrition and diabetes professional communities. She is currently on the Board of the Metropolitan New York Local Networking Group of ADCES where she plays an integral role in organizing educational events and sharing her unique expertise. In her clinical role, Stahl excels in providing compassionate and evidence-based care for persons with diabetes and other endocrine conditions. She has also been recognized by New York Presbyterian Hospital as an outstanding preceptor and mentor to dietetic interns.

Innovative Use of Technology Award

Supporting the innovative use and integration of technology into practice.

Lydia Sartain MS, RDN, LD, CDCES

Sartainis the director of diabetes and nutrition for ARcare, a federally qualified health center in Arkansas. She is being recognized for her team's work on providing patient access to the Welch Allen Retina Vue 700 Imager, providing eye exams to people with diabetes who are financially unable to afford them. The intent and goals with the Retina Vue 700 Imaging devices are to scale the service and seamlessly integrate into their existing DSMES program. Currently they have a total of six devices in Arkansas that rotate quarterly among their education team, allowing them to reach a total of 55+ clinic locations spanning the entire state of Arkansas.

Advancing the Vision Award

Recognizing an ADCES member whose program or project advances the ADCES strategic vision pillars to achieve the outcomes inspired by ADCES' mission.

Carla DeJesus MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES

DeJesus is a dietitian and diabetes care and education specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, McKeesport Hospital, Diabetes Outpatient Clinic.

She was selected for this award based on her work with the Diabetes Coordinated Care (DCC) Clinic, which was conceived within the DSMES program. The DCC team restructured, moving from 1:1 provider interaction/ educator sessions to a coordinated process that emphasized practice redesign, coordinated team-based care, patient self-management, and patient/provider education and support. They also engaged the community and leveraged local resources to optimize clinical outcomes. Recognized as a diabetes care and education specialist, Carla assumed a role in recommending treatment plans and medication adjustments in collaboration with the endocrinologist. She helped to develop strong relationships among local primary care physicians, specialists, hospital staff, pharmacists, and social workers, increasing referrals and community services.

Power of Our Impact

Recognizes a diabetes care and education specialist for their on-going dedication and service to persons with diabetes and their day-to-day commitment to clinical care.

Lori Bednarz RN, MSN, CDCES

Bednarz is a senior diabetes educator and certified product trainer with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic where she provides individualized education, and encourages behavior change and self-management to adults living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. She has also made a strong impact on her local community through her involvement with various diabetes organization including ADCES, ADA and JDRF. Her diabetes care and education outreach also focuses on diabetes technology, where she shares her expertise with pharmacy students and medical students. She embodies the principles of meeting persons with diabetes where they are and the power of teamwork in optimal diabetes care.

Research Award

Recognizes outstanding work in the scientific area of diabetes care and education. This new award signifies the importance of research to ADCES.

Courtney Balliro BS, RN, CDCES, CRN-BC

Balliro is a clinical research nurse and project manager at Massachusetts General Hospital's Diabetes Research Center. Her career has centered on innovation in diabetes treatment and technology including the development of a closed-loop insulin delivery system called the iLet bionic pancreas for use in type 1, type 2 and cystic fibrosis related diabetes. She has been coordinating and managing research projects since 2013 and has unrivaled experience training and supporting research participants wearing the investigational bionic pancreas. More specifically, she was selected for her abstract, Multicenter Randomized Trial of a Bionic Pancreas in Adults and Children with Type 1 Diabetes and her approach:

• Her topic promotes the ADCES's core focus areas of diabetes technology, patient-centered care and optimizing care delivery.
• Her role on the clinical research team highlights the imperative role of the diabetes care and education specialist participating in a collaborative approach to health services research.
• The methodology and results are well presented and have clear implications for optimizing care delivery, utilizing cutting edge technology applied to adults and children alike.

About the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists:
ADCES is an interdisciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving prediabetes, diabetes and cardiometabolic care through innovative education, management and support. With more than 12,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and others, ADCES has a vast network of practitioners working to optimize care and reduce complications. ADCES supports an integrated care model that lowers the cost of care, improves experiences and helps its members lead so better outcomes follow. Learn more at DiabetesEducator.org, or visit us on Facebook or LinkedIn (Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists), Twitter (@ADCESdiabetes) and Instagram (@ADCESdiabetes).

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