American Association of Diabetes Educators
Board Update to Coordinating Bodies/Local Networking Groups
February 8, 2015
The American Association of Diabetes Educators Board of Directors met on January 24-25, 2015. This was the first official Board Meeting of 2015 and was preceded by a strategic planning session. A summary of both events is provided below.
Strategic Planning
The Board met to synthesize the information gathered to help them understand the dynamic changes taking place in the health care environment. This environmental scan is a compilation of work completed over the last six months, including summaries of:
- A stakeholder forum conducted in August, 2014;
- A survey regarding health care trends and their impact on diabetes educators; and
- Senior management observations and assessments from an association perspective
On the whole, an impressive body of work was compiled to help fuel the Board’s thinking. The Board’s discussions were framed around three critical conversations which included:
- Business models for association success;
- The diabetes workforce; and
- The evolving healthcare arena
The complexity of the current health care environment came out in each discussion, as well as the recognition that many changes are at variable stages in different parts of the country -- and even within different organizations. As part of the Board discussions, three themes emerged over the course of the day. These included:
- Ensuring that the patient is at the center of all that we do;
- Evolving roles of professionals and paraprofessionals within the care team; and
- The expanding role of educators in the area of chronic disease management
In each of its discussions, the Board remained committed to thinking beyond the issues and the needs of today, in order to assist diabetes educators in understanding and preparing for tomorrow.
The next steps in the strategic planning process will encompass the engagement of various stakeholders, including: people affected by diabetes, diabetes educators, current and past leaders, as well as industry partners. The Board will reconvene in April to review this input and draft strategies coming out of the January Board Meeting. It is hoped that a final plan will be approved at the August 2015 Board Meeting.
Board Meeting
During its meeting, the Board discussed a number of issues of interest to the Membership. A brief summary is provided below.
The Board reviewed and approved several short and long term modifications to AADE’s Annual Meeting, that market research indicated would make the meeting more attractive to both members and exhibitors. Changes being enacted in 2015 include a significantly reduced registration fee, an expanded number of continuing education credits, and a greater number of limited service hotels from which to choose. In addition, longer term structural changes include shifting the days of the week the meeting is held, developing a more consistent city rotation with a focus on venues that offer member value, and finally, changing the composition of the Annual Meeting Committee to provide some degree of overlap in membership from year-to-year.
An update was provided on the recently completed systematic review of the literature on diabetes self-management education, 1997-2013. The Board discussed the strategic importance of this piece of work and the importance it will play in advancing the organizational goals of aligning practice with the evidence, advancing advocacy activities, and informing the public. Staff reported on plans to leverage the review once published.
The Board also discussed and approved a more comprehensive communication plan to inform the membership of its view of the need and rationale for Diabetes Educator Licensure. Currently, nineteen states are at some stage in the exploration or discussion phases of licensure. The Board acknowledged the complexity of this issue and the challenge associated with building members’ understanding. The Board expressed a desire to share its perspective and engage in an open dialogue with the membership, in the hopes of building understanding and support for the initiative.
The Board met via conference call with Sue McLaughlin, MOL, BS, RD, CDE, Chair, National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) and Sheryl Traficano, Chief Executive Officer of NCBDE. The two organizations have a strong and open relationship and have established periodic updates to each Board. AADE President, Deborah Greenwood, will be providing a similar update to the NCBDE Board in February. The two organizations are currently exploring what the inclusion of an examination-based pathway to diabetes educator licensure might look like, as well as collaborating on a National Practice Study.
The issue of collaboration as a strategic activity for the organization was discussed. AADE has positioned itself as an organization actively seeking to accomplish its goals through collaboration with other key stakeholder organizations, as well as displaying a reciprocal willingness to assist others, if in line with the association’s mission and/or the good of the broader diabetes community. The Board is actively advancing several issues, including the systematic review, through such a strategy.
The Board received a report of the 2015 Nominating Committee and discussed the skills, experience and diversity needs of the Board as the committee begins to receive applications for the 2015 AADE elections. The Board encourages all members to consider the opportunity to serve in a volunteer leadership role, be that at the local or national level.
Finally, the Board approved the position description for the Member Affiliates Liaison to the Board.