Advancing Equity in Diabetes Care: ADCES's DEI Council Leads the Way
Feb 28, 2024, 15:50 PM
By Lorena Drago, MS, RDN, CDN, CDCES
In 2020, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES®) under Charles Macfarlane, CEO, and Kellie Antorini-Lent, President, took an important step to foster diversity by establishing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council. Initially, this multidisciplinary group aims to integrate DEI principles into every facet of the organization, its members, and ultimately impacting the lives of individuals affected by diabetes.
The council identifies four key pillars:
- Membership Composition: The DEI council recognized the importance of understanding the demographics of ADCES members, acknowledging that diversity extends beyond race and ethnicity to encompass various professional backgrounds, urban and rural contexts, age, gender and more. Analyzing member demographics, the council aimed to obtain the data for targeted outreach and inclusion initiatives.
- Reduction in Health Disparities: The council’s focus was to actively engage with grassroots organizations and advocate for policies that address health disparities in diabetes care. This approach underscores the importance of collaborative care with like-minded organizations but positions ADCES as a driving force in advocating for equitable health outcomes and achieving lasting impact.
- Leadership and Organizational Development: The council examined the organization’s and leadership’s diversity DNA. The DEI council explored the internal structures of ADCES, focusing on its board, committees, Coordinating Bodies (CB), and Local Networking Groups (LNGs). Education, training, and support were identified as key tools to empower leaders and foster an inclusive organizational culture.
- Alignment of Service Delivery: ADCES recognizes the diverse needs of populations disproportionately affected by diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions. Their efforts include equipping members with the skills and knowledge to serve diverse communities with cultural competency.
2023 Focus Areas
By 2023, the council had narrowed its focus into three strategic areas for the next 18-24 months:
- Provide oversight and review: To ensure the elements of diversity are incorporated across ADCES initiatives.
- Regularly review data: In support of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as it relates to member experiences and needs.
- Serve as spokespersons: For DEI, and belonging, as an ADCES value and objective.
Incorporation into ADCES Strategic Plan
Furthermore, ADCES's strategic plan reflects this commitment to DEI through two key objectives:
- Providing Evidence-based Education: The first objective emphasized in providing evidence-based education practice guidance, resources and expertise to advance diabetes care and education specialists at all levels of practice. The 2024 key results aimed at creating 3-5 new learning activities, including 1-2 programs designed to increase cultural competency.
- Collaboration and Membership Expansion: The second objective targeted collaboration with other professional organizations providing access to prospective members. The 2024 key results included initiating conversations with three organizations to explore and potentially evaluate mutually beneficial opportunities that lead to diversified membership and a memorandum of understanding would formalize these collaborations.
ADCES's DEI Council aligns its goals with the strategic plan of ADCES. The council recognizes that diversity extends beyond race and ethnicity. It is comprised of many elements such as primary profession, career stage, gender, geography, sexual orientation and disability. The council is committed to addressing these elements of diversity and will continue in reviewing and evaluating data, using it as a benchmark to foster growth and pave the way for a diabetes care landscape that is more just and equitable.