| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
2006-2007: A Year in Review
This has been an exceptional year for AADE and the profession of diabetes
education. I am truly proud to have served the association as president in
2006-2007. Together, we have "created the drama" around diabetes
education and engaged in "conversations that matter." We have
taken great steps toward the realization of our mission and
vision.
AADE's volunteer leadership, staff, and industry partners have worked hard to prove the worth of Educators, define a place for ourselves in the changing landscape of the health care system, and form and preserve strong, strategic relationships. Our strategic goals have been the driving force behind all of our activities this year, and we have made tremendous progress on all 5 fronts. Take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments with me!
The current health care system has not discovered how to fully use the diabetes Educator—nor does it understand how diabetes Educators can assist in improving clinical outcomes and increasing quality of life. AADE has recognized the importance of building an evidence base about the effectiveness of diabetes education, and this year, we have steadily found and created opportunities to do just that. We have:
Together, these accomplishments have strengthened the foundation for the continued and expanding practice of diabetes education.
As the national voice of more than 10 000 Educators, AADE has a responsibility to lead the professional community in recognizing the worth of our profession and to firmly establish our place on the diabetes care team. Working toward this goal led our organization to take an historic step forward earlier this year by gathering together providers, payers, patients, researchers, regulatory agencies, and other health care organizations to participate in a Discovery Summit in Washington, DC, on April 9 and 10. These key stakeholders worked to develop a collaborative, multidisciplinary implementation model for the practice, delivery, and reimbursement of self-management training and support that has a well-marked place for diabetes education. It is also our task to set the standards and benchmarks for quality diabetes care. Together with the American Diabetes Association, we convened a joint task force to revise the National Standards for Diabetes Self-management Education. In addition, we continued to develop new tools that aid Educators in managing and tracking patients' behavior change goals. Known as the AADE7TM System, this suite of web-based resources is designed to streamline and improve Educators' practices. We have been working hard to make this system user friendly and more accessible to members.
I am particularly proud of the advances we have made in this strategic goal area this year. The Annual Meeting and Exhibition in St. Louis, MO, was a great success, providing nearly 3500 Educators with a multitude of educational, networking, and socializing opportunities. Also, we succeeded in expanding the accessibility and value of our educational programs by instituting a series of real-time, interactive web-based seminars, called Webinars. The Online Reimbursement Guide is another useful resource that eliminates some of the complexity surrounding the reimbursement process for Educators.
To bring about effective, sustainable change in diabetes care, we must form alliances among industry and other health care organizations. To this end, we partnered with other organizations to present numerous public awareness campaigns that helped raise recognition of our role as Educators and respect for our contribution to diabetes patient outcomes. This year marked the launch of AADE's first ever wholly self-directed patient education campaign. Side by Side: A Partner Approach to Diabetes Self-Care emphasized the importance of partners in care—physicians, diabetes Educators, other health care professionals, and family and friends—and highlighted the benefits of working with a diabetes Educator. This campaign puts the spotlight squarely on our profession and presents Educators as essential members of every diabetes care team.
The Advocacy Committee continued to develop public policy briefs on issues that are important to our members. These briefs provide essential information about legislation that affects the profession and clarifies the association's stance on the issues. This year, we have also made progress by forging relationships with government agencies and joining coalitions that advocate for causes that improve the care of people with diabetes and their access to supplies.
AADE is growing! This year, we experienced a 7% growth in membership and added 3 new chapters. As our organization blooms, so does our suite of member benefits; this year, we launched AADE in Practice, a new quarterly publication that focuses on the practical application of current research and best practices in diabetes education. I am very proud of this year's accomplishments, and I am excited about the future and the direction in which our association is heading. I'd like to thank the Board of Directors, committees, staff, and other volunteer leaders for helping AADE prepare to meet the challenges ahead and for making this year one to remember. Throughout the coming years, remember to be verbal about who you are and what you do. Remember to capitalize and bold the E in Educator. Proudly proclaim your worth and your contribution to the success of patients with diabetes!
The Diabetes Educator, Vol. 33, No. 6,
873-875 (2007)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
 |
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Top
Research: AADE Advances and...
Driving Practice: AADE Sets...