The Hidden Work of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
By Dawn Hebert, RN, MSN, CDCES
When most people think about diabetes care, they often picture medications, glucose numbers, insulin doses, or nutrition counseling. What many do not see is the enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work happening every single day by Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (DCES).
The truth is, diabetes education has never been just about teaching carbohydrates or reviewing blood sugar logs. Modern diabetes care is deeply personal, emotionally complex, and often filled with barriers that extend far beyond the clinic walls.
Behind every successful patient outcome is a tremendous amount of invisible work.
A DCES may spend part of the day helping a patient understand how to use a continuous glucose monitor. But they may also spend another hour fighting insurance denials, tracking down medication assistance programs, troubleshooting technology issues, coordinating with providers, or helping someone navigate fear, burnout, food insecurity, or shame surrounding their diagnosis.
Many patients living with diabetes are balancing much more than glucose management. They may be struggling with transportation, rising food costs, caregiving responsibilities, housing instability, limited health literacy, or emotional exhaustion. Some patients are overwhelmed by the complexity of managing multiple medications and appointments. Others quietly feel like they have failed when their glucose numbers are not where they want them to be.
This is where the work of a DCES becomes so much more than education.
Diabetes Care and Education Specialists often become translators, coaches, advocates, problem-solvers, encouragers, and trusted partners in care. We help patients interpret not only glucose patterns, but also the realities of daily life. We celebrate small victories that may never appear in a medical chart: choosing water instead of soda, walking after dinner, learning how to place a CGM independently, or finally feeling confident enough to ask questions during a provider visit.
Much of this work is difficult to measure.
There is no billing code for the extra phone call that prevents a patient from giving up on insulin therapy. There is no productivity metric for easing a patient’s fear after a frightening low blood sugar event. There is no simple spreadsheet that captures the impact of listening to someone who feels overwhelmed and alone.
Yet this work matters.
In many ways, these unseen moments are the foundation of successful diabetes care.
As diabetes technology advances and treatment guidelines evolve, the need for compassionate, individualized education continues to grow. Patients do not simply need more information. They need support that fits into their real lives. They need care teams willing to meet them where they are without judgment.
Across Washington State and throughout the country, Diabetes Care and Education Specialists are helping patients navigate increasingly complex care while also addressing the human side of diabetes that is so often overlooked.
The work may be hidden at times, but its impact is not.
Behind improved A1c levels, increased confidence, fewer hospitalizations, and healthier communities are educators quietly doing the work that holds diabetes care together.
And that work deserves to be seen.