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Home > Articles by: Verena Lark
Home > Articles by: Verena Lark 10 October 2022
ADEA bids farewell to their current President Tracey Tellam, whose term finishes on 11 October. Tracey was first elected to the Board in 2016 and has served as ADEA President since October 2020. Tracey’s passion for and dedication to diabetes education and serving the ADEA membership as she has led the organisation through two years of the pandemic, has been evident.
‘We are grateful to Tracey’s steady hand of leadership over the turbulence of the past couple of years. ADEA managed to not only weather the pandemic but continued to lead in the field of diabetes education and became one of the first peak bodies to unify the health professional voice with the consumer voice – Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society, and ADEA – to amplify our voices for the benefit of people living with diabetes,’ said ADEA CEO Susan Davidson.
‘I am very proud of what ADEA has accomplished over the past two years. We have completed the National Diabetes Nursing Education Framework, the Diabetes Referral Pathways, a detailed legal review of Scope of Practice, multiple position statements, National Diabetes Services Scheme projects, supported the CGM expansion, our joint election campaign with the Australian Diabetes Society, and so much more. I know that our new President, Amanda Bartlett, will continue to lead ADEA to new frontiers. I look forward to seeing what the next years have in store for ADEA under her dynamic leadership,’ said ADEA President Tracey Tellam.
Incoming ADEA President Amanda Bartlett has served as ADEA Vice President since October 2020. Amanda has been a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) for over 10 years and is also a registered nurse and certified midwife. She has over 30 years of experience in healthcare working in both public and private hospitals and manages her own private practice in Sydney. Amanda has mentored many CDEs, supporting them to achieve their goals, and is a guest lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney.
ADEA Board Members at the Australasian Diabetes Congress 2022 in Brisbane: Justine Cain, Amanda Bartlett, Ann Bush, Coralie Cross, Derek Finch, Maria Maieli, Tracey Tellam
Amanda has previously held a directorship of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS), served on various ADEA Board Committees, and was the chair of the ADEA Diabetes in Pregnancy Special Interest Group (DIPSIG). She is also an advisor to Diabetes Australia’s Medical Education and Scientific Council.
‘I’d like to thank Tracey for her leadership, it was an honour to work with her over the past two years as Vice President. I look forward to serving as ADEA’s next President and working closely with the ADEA Board and staff to support all people living with diabetes, serving ADEA members, and furthering the direction of ADEA as a professional body, incoming ADEA President Amanda Bartlett said.
‘On behalf of the ADEA staff and ADEA Board, I warmly welcome Amanda into this new role, and look forward to continuing our important work to serve our membership and support people living with diabetes,’ said ADEA CEO Susan Davidson.
About ADEA: The Australian Diabetes Education Association (ADEA) was formed in 1981. ADEA is the leader in diabetes education and care in Australia and provides excellence in diabetes education for health professionals. ADEA is the national organisation in Australia that certifies Credentialled Diabetes Educators (CDEs).
As mentioned in previous communications, Services Australia (the agency) has upgraded its digital health and aged care channels to uplift ageing technology and to ensure patient and provider information remains secure.
Healthcare locations that use ageing administration software to submit claims or data using Medicare Online (including Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Australian Immunisation Register) will have their access gradually removed over a 6-8 week period starting from 4 October 2022 or earlier as requested by their software developer. ECLIPSE users and complex organisations such as jurisdictions and pathology providers, will not be impacted at this stage.
Sites that haven’t transitioned in time will need to contact their software developer or use alternative claiming channels. This may cause disruption, additional administration pressure and costs to their business.
If your organisation still uses old technology to access Medicare Online, including Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Australian Immunisation Register channels, you will need to use alternative claiming channels, such as Health Professional Online Services (HPOS). Go to the Services Australia website and search for ‘online options for health professionals’ to find out more about this channel.
Talk to your software developer as soon as possible about upgrading or registering for HPOS to continue digital claiming. Your software developer will also tell you if you need a PRODA Organisation account.
If you don’t have a software developer, or you need to find one, go to the Services Australia website and search for ‘how to find a software developer’.
If you aren’t able to make an electronic claim on you clients’ behalf using HPOS, your clients can submit their claim to Medicare via:
Consumers can read more about the different ways they can make a Medicare claim on the Services Australia website by searching ‘Medicare claims’.
If you would like to speak to someone for more information, contact eBusiness Service Centre on 1800 700 199, Option 2, 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday (AEST).
Services Australia is upgrading its digital health and aged care channels
Congratulations to Nuala Harkin who received the ADEA Honorary Life Membership Award 2022 in recognition of her outstanding and innovative contribution, within Australia and internationally, to diabetes care and education for young people with diabetes. The Honorary Life Membership Award is the most prestigious ADEA award and is bestowed upon one member every year. This year’s Award was presented at the Australasian Diabetes Congress in Brisbane.
Nuala Harkin is both a citizen of Australia and Ireland. She started her career as a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and then gained a second qualification as a Registered General Nurse in Waterford, Ireland. Nuala’s background is in Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing, having worked in Great Ormond Street, London, and then at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin, before fulfilling a lifetime dream to come to Australia. She commenced work in the Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney in 1996. She moved into the area of paediatric/adolescent diabetes in January 2000 and became a Credentialled Diabetes Nurse Educator.
Nuala became the first Nurse Practitioner in the area of Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes in Australia, becoming authorised in August 2004, and has been working in a full-time position at the Children’s Hospital Westmead ever since. ‘It has been 22 years and I cannot imagine working anywhere else. I feel very thankful and privileged to work with such an amazing team,’ says Nuala.
She has been involved in research, been a co-author on a number of publications, completed book reviews, and presented her research at both national and international level.
Nuala is also passionate about her humanitarian work and has been involved in strengthening the healthcare systems at the Children’s Hospitals in Vietnam to provide comprehensive diabetes education and care for children living with diabetes.
She is a past president of ADEA and a well-respected member of our community.
Click here to learn more about the ADEA Honorary Life Membership Award.
Meet the state and territory winners of the CDE of the Year Awards 2022! Credentialled Diabetes Educators (CDEs) are Australia’s ‘go to’ qualified healthcare specialists for people living with diabetes. They are healthcare practitioners qualified to provide a personalised approach to diabetes education and care. They work with other members of the diabetes care team and provide services to people with diabetes, empowering and assisting them in dealing with daily self-management.
The yearly CDE of the Year Awards recognise and acknowledge outstanding CDEs and their extraordinary contributions to their communities. These CDEs have excelled in the provision of high-quality diabetes education, and consistently work to empower those with diabetes. The award program is run by the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) and financially supported by Eli Lilly.
There is a winner for each state and territory and from this group, a national winner will be selected to receive the prestigious Jan Baldwin National CDE of the Year title. State winners receive a $1,000 scholarship. The national Jan Baldwin winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to speak at the 2023 Australasian Diabetes Congress in Adelaide.
We are excited to announce this year’s state and territory winners and would like to thank everyone who nominated a candidate. If your candidate hasn’t won this year, we highly encourage you to nominate them again next year.
After being named the Tasmanian CDE of the Year Award, Giuliana Murfet was also awarded this year’s Jan Baldwin National CDE Award 2022 at the Australasian Diabetes Congress 2022 in Brisbane.
Giuliana has been a CDE since 1993 and is a well-known and respected member of the diabetes care and research community in Australia. She is a past President and Board Member of ADEA and Diabetes Australia as well as a Fellow of ADEA. Giuliana chairs the Medical, Educational and Scientific Advisory Council and co-chairs the Health Professional Advisory Council providing high-level strategic advice to the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) and Diabetes Australia. She is a Steering Committee member of the Living Evidence for Diabetes Consortium and has a Visiting Fellow position with the University of Technology Sydney. Currently, she works as a nurse practitioner and clinical researcher.
‘I have so many inspiring people I meet and work with every day in diabetes, so I truly am grateful and honoured for the nomination. I have always felt that I sit in a position of privilege, where people living with diabetes have trusted me with their stories. They have allowed me to enter their lives and assist them in their care by sharing their concerns and successes, often when vulnerable,’ Giuliana says.
In 2022, we have two co-winners of the title NSW CDEs of the Year, one of the two being Julie Longson. Julie commenced working as an Enrolled Nurse in Greater Manchester in 1990, converting to Registered Nurse in 2002. During this time, she developed an inspiration to work with people living with diabetes.
In 2004, she moved to Australia and worked at Nepean Hospital in a short stay ward. Moving on from this in April 2006, she commenced working at Nepean Diabetes Service, gaining experience in all areas of diabetes. In 2013, she moved into paediatric Diabetes at Nepean Diabetes Service and discovered a great passion for working with children living with diabetes and their families. ‘Being part of a child and their family’s journey from diagnosis to moving on to the young adult service is a privilege and continues to be a learning experience. I enjoy being able to support families on this journey. I feel greatly supported by our team and not only the paediatric team but also within our whole department’, says Julie.
‘It was a complete surprise when I was contacted about this nomination. I am very humbled, in a time of great challenges within the workforce my special appreciation goes to my colleagues. I am still processing that they have taken the time to do this for me. A very special thank you,’ Julie says.
Marlene Payk is the other co-winner of the NSW CDE of the Year Award 2022. Marlene is a Nurse Practitioner working in both public and private practice. She has been working as a diabetes educator for over 25 years and works with people living with all types of diabetes. She has completed a Professional Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner and her research focused on type 1 diabetes and insulin pump therapy. Marlene’s interests include the use of technology to assist with diabetes self-management. She is an active member of ADEA, mentoring new members who are embarking on obtaining their initial credentialing. Additionally, she is the current secretary of the ADEA NSW Branch and has previously held the position of ADEA NSW Branch chair.
‘I have wonderful colleagues who have nominated and supported me in achieving this award. I am most grateful to all the people with diabetes, who over the years have shared their experiences with me and supported my nomination. It is through the shared experiences of people living with diabetes that we gain valuable skills enabling me to support others living with diabetes,’ Marlene says.
Sarah Maher is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Credentialled Diabetes Educator, and currently studying to become a Nurse Practitioner. Throughout her 16 years of working within Queensland Health, she has been employed in various regional and rural settings across Queensland, delivering her passion for quality person-centred care with a focus on access and equity for all.
She is a strong leader and a fierce advocate for best practice in diabetes care for all people living with diabetes. Her advocacy also includes continuous learning and working alongside other health care professionals to embrace opportunities for quality improvement activities, always aiming to improve services within rural and regional healthcare.
Sarah has a passion for nursing and midwifery within the diabetes services. She provides care that is led by the practices of honesty, integrity, and respect. ‘Care that is based on best practice leads to optimal outcomes not only to the client but also the working team environment,’ Sarah states. ‘If we can help generate a strong and optimal health care for people living with diabetes through education and support, the effects will be seen in their ability to care for themselves.’
Sarah is a wife, mother, and lives with type 1 diabetes herself. ‘I believe that it is important to remind ourselves of the humanness and individuality of each and every person that walks through our doors,’ she says. ‘Advocacy, care, hope and connection are at the centre of how I have and always will practice.’
Maddie Freeman started her career as an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Her passion for diabetes began at university when completing an honours research project working with children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes. After working in community health as a dietitian and supporting many people living with, and at risk of, diabetes she completed postgraduate studies to become a Credentialled Diabetes Educator.
Now working at Diabetes South Australia, she loves being part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team, providing education and support to people with diabetes and their families. She enjoys providing evidence-based, client-centred support, empowering people to achieve their goals and live well with diabetes. She is passionate about increasing awareness and understanding within the community to reduce the stigma associated with diabetes, improve language used, and to support the prevention and early detection of diabetes and its associated complications. Committed to ongoing professional development, she enjoys learning from her peers and people living with diabetes, every day.
‘I am humbled to have been nominated and grateful for the wonderful team I work with. With so much information available, I am grateful to be able to support the individual to tailor it to their needs and incorporate diabetes management into their daily lives. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to continue to learn from my colleagues and people living with diabetes every day,’ Maddie says.
Julie Loughran’s diabetes journey started in 1999 working for the NHS in the UK. Working as a diabetes nurse in a variety of settings, mainly the acute hospital settings, she developed a strong focus on inpatient care, DAFNE and DESMOND training, and insulin pump therapy. She spent a short period of time in research and participated as a trainer in the Insulin for Life course, teaching general practitioners and practice nurses to manage diabetes and initiate insulin in the community.
In 2013, Julie moved to Australia; a new country, and a new job. ‘This was my introduction to diabetes nursing in the sub-acute setting and what a journey that has been,’ Julie recounts. She has become an advocate for the more vulnerable person living with diabetes; the older person with cognitive decline, dementia, and people living with disabilities. ‘Safe discharge planning for this group is a priority, often a lengthy process but very rewarding,’ Julie says.
Additionally, Julie has a strong interest in education and is helping to build confidence in both medical and nursing staff who are supporting people living with diabetes. She is currently in the process of developing a Diabetes Learning Hub for all staff to access. As a result of her commitment to continuous quality improvement, she has led real change and improvement in clinical practice, policies, and protocols.
‘I am surprised and honoured to receive this award. I work with a wonderful team and many of my team members would be great candidates themselves. I have a great interest in quality, looking at what we are doing, why we are doing it – is it working, and can we do it better? I hope to continue being a strong advocate to improve the experience of people living with diabetes in the inpatient setting. I appreciate the nomination, thank you,’ Julie says.
Daina Coenen is a Registered Nurse and has been a Credentialled Diabetes Educator for five years now. She was drawn to working in the field of diabetes after volunteering at a camp for children living with type 1 diabetes. She loves helping her clients live their best and healthiest lives.
Daina works both across the public health system and private practice. Currently, she is working in a job share capacity as the Clinical Nurse Consultant at Perth Children’s Hospital whilst running her own private practice for adults living with all forms of diabetes.
She has a passion for technology and loves watching the impact it has on people living with diabetes, as well as seeing their diabetes management and quality of life improve.
Ruth Pollard is the ACT CDE of the Year 2022. ‘I am very humbled to have received this award. I am really fortunate to work with a great diabetes education team at Canberra Health Service. Diabetes education and management is multi-factorial, and the greatest success is achieved when we help our clients draw on the resources around them – family, friends, and all their health care team,’ Ruth says.
Ruth believes it is important to consider the client’s life journey when supporting their education and management. ‘There are so many factors that impact how well clients can incorporate our education and recommendations to help manage their diabetes. It’s so much more than providing facts and expecting lifestyle changes to be made,’ Ruth says.
The ACT CDE of the Year 2022 has worked across many disciplines for more than forty years as a nurse, in both Australia and overseas. In the 1990s, Ruth completed her Master of Clinical Nursing at Sydney University. ‘Being able to incorporate my learning into my clinical practice has provided me great opportunities to reflect and change my practice,’ Ruth says. ‘My experiences have provided me a good platform to base my approach to supporting people living with diabetes and understanding that everybody’s life journey is different.’
Do you know a Credentialled Diabetes Educator who should be awarded the title CDE of the Year 2023? Make sure to keep an eye on our website where we will let you know once nominations for next year’s awards are open.
This National Diabetes Week, we want people living with diabetes, their families, friends, health professionals, and the public, to rethink diabetes. People living with diabetes may experience diabetes stigma, distress, depression, or anxiety and may also find themselves overwhelmed by the demands of self-management. The need for timely, high quality emotional and mental health care continues to increase.
In a survey we conducted earlier this year, we found:
Some of the comments from the survey were:
CDEs play an essential role in identifying emotional health and wellbeing concerns for people living with diabetes, as they provide support, resources, and referral to mental health services. If you are not familiar with them yet, we encourage you to take National Diabetes Week as an occasion to familiarise yourself with these NDSS resources:
We also invite you to join or re-watch our National Diabetes Week events:
ADEA will continue to work on ways to support CDEs in their clinical practice regarding the emotional health and wellbeing of clients. We are currently establishing a CDE special interest group for mental health. If you would like to be part of this group, we would love to hear from you at education@adea.com.au.
Thank you to everyone who spread the word about National Diabetes Week 2022. You can find supporting materials and further information about the events on our website.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Diabetes Health Professionals Election Campaign. It’s our collective voice on behalf of people living with diabetes that makes the biggest impact.
Congratulations to the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the new Government. We are looking forward to working closely with the new Health Minister and continuing our work to improve diabetes care in Australia. We have worked hard to build bi-bipartisan support for our policy initiatives, and we will be continuing that with this Parliament.
Whilst we are delighted at the commitment by the Australian Labor Party to expand CGM for people living with diabetes to be able to use the technology appropriately, Credentialled Diabetes Educators (CDEs) must be supported and renumerated, as they provide care to the thousands of people who will be initiating on diabetes technologies, equipping them to use their technology well.
We will be continuing our campaign and advocacy, holding Parliamentarians to their commitments, and reminding them of the impact of diabetes in Australia and what they can do to lessen that impact and improve the lives of Australians living with diabetes.
Our top three advocacy priorities remain:
The election is over, but our work is not, and we aren’t slowing down.
If you haven’t already sent a letter to your MP or Senator, you still can. If you have sent a letter in the lead up to the election, you can send a follow up to congratulate your new Member and Senators and remind them how important these issues are to you and to the 1.4 million people in Australia who are living with diabetes. You can find a template for your letter here.
The Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference & Trade Exhibition (APP) 2022 was held from 24 to 27 March at the Gold Coast Australia and presented a wonderful opportunity for our NDSS Team Leader Cristy Welsh to connect with pharmacy professionals.
6000 people attended the 4-day conference, and the trade hall was a popular spot between talks and plenaries. Many visitors approached our stand to discuss credentialling, the journey to becoming a CDE, and the benefits of being a member of ADEA. We were happy to speak with a number of people and explain the credentialling process. To learn more about credentialling, please click here.
The benefits of pharmacist CDEs were summarised by ADEA staff and volunteers as well as the conference attendees themselves as an essential service for their community, a multifaceted value to their pharmacy and staff, as well as an opportunity to diversify their business. Pharmacists play an important role in the diabetes health team which is why the diabetes community needs more pharmacists who achieve CDE status. Not only do pharmacist CDEs know how to support their clients’ medication usage and product choices, but also how to ask the right questions, give helpful advice or refer a person when necessary.
Cristy was ably assisted over the weekend by several ADEA committee members and student pharmacist volunteers. We’d like to especially thank Laura Zimmerman, Catherine Laird, Kim Dijong, and Joanne Mitchell for taking the time over the weekend to make it such a success.
The Federal Budget was released on 29 March and does not adequately invest in diabetes care and research. Diabetes is one of the most significant health conditions facing Australia. While we are pleased that the Government has invested 132 billion into the health system and demonstrated a commitment to reducing chronic conditions by investing $30.1 million over the next four years to the National Preventive Health Strategy, this investment is not enough. We need further investment in diabetes-specific intervention, research, and prevention to reduce the future impact of diabetes on individuals and the health system.
Our joint election platform recommends three key areas of investment and focus. Investment in these areas will help the people who need it most, the 1.4 million Australians living with diabetes and those who will be diagnosed. They depend on the life-saving care provided by CDEs and Endocrinologists. These investments build a better health system while strengthening the Australian economy. In fact, for each dollar invested into diabetes education and care, there are $16 saved downstream. The Government cannot afford not to invest in diabetes and diabetes health professionals.
Please support our Diabetes Health Professionals Election Campaign and help the 1.4 million Australians living with diabetes.
We will continue to read the budget documents and provide ongoing updates.
The ADEA Board met this month with the ADEA Management Team in Sydney for two days of training, strategic planning and a Board meeting.
The first day’s session began with a training session focused on values and how the Board and management work together as a team and as individuals. Zoe Routh, a leadership expert and trainer, led a workshop guiding the Board in determining the long-term strategic goals for ADEA.
Photo: Zoe Routh presenting in front of the ADEA Board and ADEA Management Team
Picture from left to right: Tracey Tellam (ADEA President), Jessica Miller (Director), Amanda Galbraith (Director), Susan Davidson (ADEA CEO)
‘It’s always good to meet with the Board, but this was a particularly exciting session in which we envisioned the future of ADEA and all of the ways we can grow as an organisation and serve our members in the years to come,’ said Susan Davidson, ADEA CEO.
‘Our strategic goals will improve the lives of people living with diabetes, supporting them to access the vital diabetes education and care that our members provide,’ said Rachel Freeman, Manager of Professional Services and Education.
Picture from left to right: Rachel Freeman (Manager of Professional Services and Education), Ann Bush (Director), Coralie Cross (Director)
While the ADEA Board meets regularly, the entire ADEA Management Team is not always present. However, during this meeting, the Management Team was invited to present on ADEA’s strategic projects, such as the Pathways, CDE Education Review Project, the Diabetes Workforce Report and regular ongoing work.
‘It was my first opportunity to meet the Board in person, and it was really energising to witness the passionate leadership with which they guide ADEA and support our membership,’ said Melanie Gray Morris, Manager of Policy, Advocacy and Communications.
Tony Stubbs, ADEA COO summed up the sentiment after the meeting by stating, ‘It was great to be at this meeting with such a strong strategic focus, not only on the medium term but where ADEA wants to be in 20 years and what we need to do to get there. It is always exciting to see what is possible.’
The ADEA Board is very excited to finalise the long-term strategic goals and share them with all of our members soon.
It’s great to see so many ADEA members who want to or are already supporting people living with diabetes in Ukraine right now. If you would like to get involved, we invite you to support one of the following two initiatives.
You may already know the Spare a Rose campaign by Insulin for Life. Every Valentine’s Day, the campaign encourages people to donate the money that they would otherwise spend on roses to charity. In support of people with diabetes in Ukraine, Spare a Rose has recently launched Spare a Rose for Ukraine.
Spare a Rose for Ukraine will run throughout March 2022, with all donations earmarked to support people living with diabetes in and out of Ukraine. Donations will be directed to Insulin for Life, a registered charity with over two decades of experience providing insulin and diabetes supplies to under-resourced countries, and responding to emergencies. Their international consortium and network in Europe, with partners in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, have supplies ready to go if and when and where needed.
The Type 1 Foundation is working together with a doctor who is helping Ukrainian children living with type 1 diabetes who are seeking refuge in Warsaw, Poland. The Foundation is preparing and sending diabetes-related and other care products. The care packages they are shipping to Warsaw contain items donated by people with diabetes. This includes:
To participate, you can ask people living with diabetes to donate diabetes products that are unused and that they no longer require.
You may also wish to partake in the 1000 paper crane project that Belinda Moore, one of our members and a CDE herself, is undertaking. The project asks people living with diabetes, CDEs, and their communities to craft paper cranes that include messages of hope and courage. You will be able to drop your paper cranes off at the drop-in centres Belinda and her team are setting up around Australia. Like the care products, they will be sent to Warsaw.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Belinda Moore or Ange McCaughley:
We would love to hear how ADEA members and other members of the Australian diabetes community is supporting people living with diabetes in Ukraine. If you are involved in or know of an Australian initiative that we should promote, please reach out to communications@adea.com.au