Diabetes educators at the Institute: A Q&A with Stephanie Graziano

The Institute for Family Health is committed to providing the best diabetes care to all our patients. Stephanie Graziano sat down to share how she and her colleagues help patients with diabetes manage their care.

Let’s start with the basics. What exactly does a diabetes educator do?

We help patients learn how to better manage their diabetes. I think of us as the go-between for the patient, the provider, and the rest of the care team. The team can also include mental health providers, care navigators, care managers, and specialist providers, such as podiatrists or eye doctors.

Basically, we help patients get the care that centers their needs. This includes things like nutrition, how to take certain medications like GLP1s and insulin, how to test and monitor blood sugar, and anything else related to managing or preventing diabetes. We provide the patient with support and advocate for how they want to manage their care.

What kind of background or training do you need as a diabetes educator?

To become a diabetes educator, you have to have a clinical background, such as licensure as a physician’s assistant, a registered dietician, a nurse practitioner or registered nurse, or a pharmacist. Then, you must do 1,000 hours or more of one-on-one counseling with patients, and then you must pass an exam to get the credential.

Once you pass the exam, you can work with patients with diabetes. When you work with these patients, you have to be able to see the entire picture of the care team, and you need an extensive medical knowledge as a baseline. You have to know every medication for diabetes, as well as medications for high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other conditions, as well as an understanding of the mental health support needed to help a patient manage this condition.

How does a diabetes educator help people with diabetes, and how do they work with other types of diabetes care providers?

We treat diabetes for the whole person, which means we coordinate everything the patient needs for their care. Besides working with the primary care provider, we also handle referrals for specialist care outside of the Institute. We also help by connecting the patient with care navigators or case managers, who can help the patient with other benefits that may be available to them. Finally, we can also help get the patient mental health care if they need it.

If a patient has diabetes and wants more support, how can they get help from a diabetes educator?

If you have diabetes and would like more support, let your provider know. We can also help if you have a new prescription, or if you’ve had any new conditions, like changes in your feet or eyes. We can help you understand this change and how it will impact your diabetes.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I just want to say again that we offer very specialized care. We see patients of all ages, and appointments with us last a whole hour, so we can really listen and help patients find solutions that work for them.

I also want to share that for patients with prediabetes, you can also meet with a diabetes educator. Let your provider know at your next visit!

Do you have diabetes or prediabetes and would like more support? Ask your provider at your next visit for a referral to meet with a diabetes educator.

Meet our diabetes educators.