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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.
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.
