The change in the designation of the specialty title from ‘diabetes educator’ to ‘diabetes care and education specialist.’ occurred in 2020. The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES), known previously as the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), led the discussions and research about the new vision of the specialty and the future for diabetes educators.

CBDCE and many other stakeholders were involved in those discussions throughout the visioning process. Learn more here.

CBDCE understood the importance of protecting the certification program that awarded the CDE credential, initially established in 1986, to recognize health professionals who demonstrate knowledge and skills related to diabetes care and education.

With the change to CDCES, CBDCE ensured that the certification program would continue to reflect what is happening in the healthcare environment, including support of the various pillars outlined by the specialty vision. The pillars include promoting person-centered care, driving integration, focusing on behavioral health, leveraging technology, integrating related conditions, and achieving the quadruple aim of population health, quality of the patient’s care experience, costs associated with care, and meaningfulness of the provider’s experiences.

The CBDCE Board of Directors determined that changing the credential's name best reflects the current designation and the future of the specialty. In addition, CBDCE sees these changes as opportunities to remind the world how extraordinary and valuable the health professionals who hold CDCES certification are and their positive impact on diabetes care and education.