Nutritional and Diabetic Education

Our dietitians and diabetes nurse educators work with diabetic and pre-diabetic patients to help them make healthier lifestyle choices. Diabetes is a complex disease that requires daily self-management – eating healthy, staying physically active, monitoring your blood sugar and taking medications as prescribed.

A certified diabetes educator (CDE) is a health care professional who is specialized and certified to teach people with diabetes how to manage their condition. The CDE is an invaluable asset to those who need to learn the tools and skills necessary to control their blood sugar and avoid long-term complications due to hyperglycemia. Unlike an endocrinologist, the CDE can spend as much time with a newly diagnosed person as is needed both for educational purposes and emotional support.

Typically the CDE is also a nurse, dietitian, exercise physiologist, pharmacist, or social worker who has further specialized in diabetes education and care management. Formal education and years of practical experience are required, in addition to a formal examination, before a diabetes educator is certified.