The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) annual conference just passed in Baltimore, Maryland. Healthy Living was there to meet diabetes educators and product manufacturers and to simply learn. Educators are in the trenches with patients and their families, teaching them the skills to be successful and guiding them in the various technologies and tools used to manage the disease.

Six diabetes educators were honored for their achievements and contributions in the field of diabetes education at the AADE conference:

Diabetes Educator of the Year Award - Jane K. Dickinson, RN, PhD, CDE
Lifetime Achievement Award - Keith Campbell, RPh, FASHP, CDE, FAAD (posthumous award)
Allene Van Son Distinguished Service Award - Malinda Peeples, RN, MS, CDE, FAADE
2018 Strategic Initiative Award – Jasmine Gonzalvo, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM, CDE, LDE, FAADE
Rising Star Awards - Melanie L. Duran, RN, BSN, CDE and Clipper F. Young, PharmD, MPH, BC-ADM, CDE

We support the work of diabetes educators on a daily basis by providing them with meter kits to use for new Healthy Living patients in the clinic during training. Healthy Living also reinforces the teaching of diabetes educators by making sure our patients receive refills for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) supplies, insulin pump supplies, and testing supplies on time, every 30 or 90 days (depending on the patient’s insurance plan).

What it comes down to is that patients can have the best technology in the world, but if they don’t have education, they won’t be able to take full advantage of an insulin pump or CGM system. Read the article New Diabetes Technology Options Can Ease Disease Management, but Education Key for more information about this. Diabetes educators are absolutely essential to the well-being and successful treatment plans of people with diabetes.

Advocate, Bayer Contour Next, and True Metrix test kits.

Keeping Patients Supplied

For new patients, once diagnosed with diabetes and beginning education, it is a critical time to start testing blood sugar to inform their insulin dosing, food choices, and activity. As a home delivery diabetes supply company and pharmacy, we know that the time lag in the shipment of supplies can be complicated in this situation. Healthy Living has created some solutions to help patients begin to manage their diabetes as quickly as possible. One way we do this by providing nurses and diabetes educators at many Michigan clinics with meter kits to give to new patients.

Getting Started with Blood Glucose Testing

Healthy Living supplies meter kits from a few different manufacturers to each clinic, and every kit includes a blood glucose meter, lancets, and test strips. The type of meter kit that a patient receives is based on the individual’s health insurance coverage. For example, Meridian covers Advocate test strips, so Meridian patients get an Advocate meter test kit (they will continue to use the meter and will only have to reorder test strips and lancets).

No worries if you don't have meter kits on hand in your clinic. We can provide expedited shipping so the first order gets to your patient's home fast, usually within a day. All you need to do is contact Healthy Living and we'll ensure your patient receives supplies in short order.

Right on Track

When patients are given a new meter kit and learn how to test their blood glucose levels, they also call Healthy Living to enroll and place their first order for the test strips they will need going forward. They'll receive their supplies at home by the time they run out of sample test strips.

Diabetes educators and nurses, when providing a meter kit to a member, we would appreciate it if you could take five minutes to have the patient either text or call us to enroll for home delivery. This process is fast and ensures that members receive their order in a timely manner so they have supplies in-hand before they run out of the test strips in their meter kits.

With this collaborative process in place, new patients with diabetes can start testing right away, and from the get-go, Healthy Living can help patients stay on track with their treatment plans.

Healthy Living Salutes Diabetes Educators

Meter Kits Smooth the Transition to Testing for New Patients