Cure, Quality Care, Absolute Commitment: Together We Can Make It Happen

The commitment of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to funding research, improving treatment, and finding a cure for diabetes is as steadfast as ever. The numbers continue to skyrocket; some 20.8 million Americans now have diabetes—6.2 million of whom remain undiagnosed—and 41 million have pre-diabetes, most of whom do not know they have it. A full one-third to one-half of Americans will develop diabetes unless we do something to stop this epidemic.Have we at ADA done all there is to do? No, this is just the beginning of the journey to fulfill our mission. We have more work to do; our many constituent groups—health care providers and caregivers, researchers, advocates, members, families, and volunteers—are our greatest strengths. If we want to make a difference for cure and care, then we need to mobilize all of these voices and all sing from the same page. We need a rallying cry and a way to identify the ADA that speaks to all so that we can have a powerful impact on this disease and everyone living with it. Our success as health care professionals is directly linked to our work being all about the person with diabetes. It involves the empowerment of our patients to achieve their goals for quality health care.As past ADA President, Health Care & Education, Martha M. Funnell, MS, RN, CDE, stated, “The more I listen rather than talk, the more I ask rather than tell, the more I help patients explore their own problems than advise, and the more I resist in labeling and categorizing patients, the better able I am to facilitate their learning.”Alan D. Cherrington, PhD, in his 2005 address as ADA President, charged the organization's health care and education leadership with reassessing the national standards for diabetes self-management education (DSME) to …