Meet ADEA President
Introduction
In this article, read all about Tracey Tellam RN CDE and current ADEA President.
Tracey answers some questions below that we posed to her during a recent podcast.
To listen to the podcast, hosted by Jan Alford, and also featuring Amanda Bartlett, ADEA’s current Vice President, click here: Introduction to ADEA Board President and Vice President
My journey in diabetes education
I was working in a large public hospital emergency department in Melbourne. Many of the patients presenting to ED had Diabetes and or Diabetes related conditions. I felt I could improve the care of these patients by understand more about Diabetes.
So I completed the Mayfield course in 2000. I went on to become credentialled by working as a volunteer diabetes educator at Diabetes Vic and then at Logan Diabetes Service in Queensland.
My primary discipline is a registered nurse, I currently work as the Diabetes Clinical Nurse consultant for the Ipswich Diabetes Service.
Being a Member of the ADEA Board
The ADEA Board is a national board of Directors made up of CDE and independent Directors.
The board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of ADEA, and for delivering accountable performance in accordance with ADEA’s goals and objectives. This responsibility is set out in the ADEA constitution.
As a Board Director, I attend quarterly Board meetings where we work through the ADEA strategic plan to ensure that ADEA is meeting the needs of it’s members and ultimately people with diabetes, in everything that we do as an Association.
Recent ADEA projects have been working towards meeting strategies that the Board set in 2020. For example, one strategy is to promote the brand and raise awareness of the CDE. The diabetes referral pathways project is a major piece if work that is being developed to meet this strategy. The Board monitors this project, ensuring that outcomes are in line with the strategy and the budget.
The CDE education review is another ADEA project that is currently underway. This project is another strategy to ensure CDEs meet the needs of people with diabetes in an ever-changing field of diabetes management and education.
The role of the President
The president is responsible for taking a leading role in keeping the vision alive for ADEA, transforming lives through excellence in diabetes education and setting the course to achieve this vision, chairing the board meetings to ensure discussions are relevant and effective, and working with the CEO to assist the ADEA office to meet the strategies.
My advice to those just starting out in diabetes education
Complete an ADEA accredited Graduate certificate in Diabetes Education and Management, engage with ADEA for support and ongoing learning opportunities, and attend ADEA meetings and conferences. When attending meetings and conferences put yourself out there and network with other diabetes educators. There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise out there with many diabetes educators willing to share their insights. You meet great people and make life-long friends.
Life away from diabetes
I enjoy cooking and I try to cook a new recipe every week.
I try to get to the beach every weekend to go walking and swimming and enjoy getting outside in the fresh air.
I am a confessed binge watcher.
I have 2 adult children and one grandchild so I spend as much time as I can with them.