Champions of Diabetes Care
Learn why health professionals within the diabetes care and education community have chosen to support people living with diabetes and further their own careers by earning the CDCES and/or BC-ADM credentials.
Antoinette Brown BSN, RN, CDCES®, CCM
Proud CDCES since May 2018
Antoinette Brown's Journey to CDCES Certification
Why did you become CDCES certified?
My journey to becoming a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) began while working in chronic care management. In that role, I supported patients with multiple chronic conditions and quickly saw how prevalent diabetes was and how deeply it affected nearly every aspect of health and daily life. I noticed that many patients were prescribed medications and given instructions, yet still felt overwhelmed and unsure how to manage their diabetes outside of the clinical setting.
What motivated you to pursue your CDCES?
Through my work, I realized that diabetes management is not just about numbers or prescriptions. It is about education, self-efficacy, and helping people understand how their daily choices influence their health. I became especially interested in lifestyle medicine and the role of modifiable risk factors such as nutrition, physical activity, stress, sleep, and routines. Seeing how small, incremental changes could lead to meaningful improvements inspired me to pursue the CDCES certification.
Has holding the CDCES provided you with additional professional opportunities?
My patients were my greatest motivation. Many wanted to do better but lacked the confidence, tools, and understanding needed to make sustainable changes. I wanted to be someone who could meet patients where they were, help them make sense of their diagnosis, and support them in building habits that felt realistic and achievable.
What would you say to someone considering certification?
Holding the CDCES credential has expanded my role in chronic care management, diabetes education, and care coordination. I frequently train patients on diabetes technologies such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), helping them use real-time data to better understand how food, activity, stress, and sleep impact glucose levels. The credential has strengthened my credibility with patients and providers and allowed me to play a greater role in technology-enabled diabetes care.
Becoming a CDCES is incredibly rewarding if you are passionate about education and behavior change. The ability to empower patients and support lasting improvements in health makes this specialty truly meaningful.
Share an achievement or special moment you’ve had after earning certification.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing meaningful improvements in patients’ health and confidence through education, technology use, and sustainable lifestyle changes. In some cases, this includes helping patients reduce an A1C from double-digit levels to below 7. More importantly, patients often report feeling better, having more energy, and gaining a sense of control over their health. Witnessing lasting, real-life improvements rather than short-term fixes reinforces the true value of
Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support.