It is our honor to announce that April's CDE of the month is, none other than our very own Chair, Jessica Kirk, MSN, RN, CPN, CDE. Not only is this a blog to share Jessica's story and her positive impact on our New Mexico community but also to say farewell. Jessica was offered and has accepted a position as RN, CDE at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. This is an amazing opportunity and we could not be more happy or proud of Jessica. We know that she will continue to improve and change the lives of individuals living with diabetes. Jessica is a true inspiration and has been a blessing to our community and to our CB Board. It is a bittersweet moment to say goodbye but Jessica will always be a part of the heart and soul in our community. Please join me in wishing Jessica all the best of luck in her professional journey in Arizona!
Respectfully,
Your AADE NM CB Board
Jessica Kirk was born and raised in New Mexico. She has lived in Las Cruces, Cloudcroft, and Albuquerque, NM. Jessica completed her Bachelors in Nursing from University of New Mexico and went on to earn her Masters in Nursing, also from University of New Mexico. Jessica was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1992. Struggles and challenges she faced along the way led her to pursue diabetes education for her career. Certified diabetes educators she encountered along her personal journey struggling to live well with type 1 inspired her to join the field. For the last three years Jessica has had the privilege to be the nurse manager for the Endocrinology TeleECHO program at the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico. Jessica is a certified diabetes educator and a certified pediatric nurse. Jessica volunteers for the American Diabetes Association New Mexico Community Leadership Board, JDRF New Mexico Chapter board of directors, the AADE New Mexico coordinating body, and the UNMHSC Ethics Committee. Jessica has also been actively involved with New Mexico's ADA Diabetes Camp for children over the past 10 years. Jessica has recently accepted a CDE position at the Mayo Clinic and will be relocating to Arizona in May. She looks forward to continuing her hard work towards bettering the lives of those living with diabetes on her new journey in Arizona.