Milpitas, Calif., October 12, 2004 - Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE, has been named Diabetes Educator of the Year by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). The AADE award has been sponsored by LifeScan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, since 1986, and is given annually to an individual who has made a special contribution to diabetes education through dedication and innovation in the daily practice of patient care.

"Theresa Garnero deserves recognition as an outstanding diabetes educator for her professionalism, selfless dedication and whole-hearted devotion to helping those people around her," said Charles Renfroe, senior manager of professional affairs at LifeScan. "Through her innovative methods and remarkable approach to patient care, Theresa creates an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust with patients, families and fellow professionals. She serves as a role model to the entire diabetes education community."

Theresa has raised the standard of diabetes care and education through her ability to communicate with patients in an outstanding and unique fashion. Her quick wit and use of humor give her the ability to place people at ease, draw patients into the communication process, and lessen the burden of dealing with a chronic disease. Perhaps most notable of Theresa's accomplishments is the 2003 publication of her first diabetes education book called, DIABETease: A Lighter Look at the Serious Subject of Diabetes. Her work on both writing and illustrating this multicultural cartoon book, which is filled with educational tips and resources, required hundreds of hours of her time. As a further gesture of her desire to help others, Theresa donates half of the book's proceeds to diabetes research.

As the patient educator of the Diabetes Program at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California (CHOMP), she provides comprehensive diabetes education for outpatients and their families. Theresa also makes it a point to educate children with Type 1 diabetes, along with their families in a home setting, and created a program specifically for this purpose.

Theresa has been praised for her leadership, and has been nominated as California Central Coast AADE president elect 2005. She is frequently invited to lecture throughout the community, and also serves as the editor-in-chief of Nursing Insight, CHOMP's in-house nursing journal.

Theresa's dedication to diabetes education is also evidenced by her work in helping to break down cultural and ethnic barriers to communication. She possesses the ability to understand multicultural issues, and her fluency in both Spanish and Italian helps her to serve the local community population.

Other finalists for the AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year Award included:

• Sharon Larkin, RN, CDE, CPT, diabetes educator for Standish Hospital, MI, Spanish Speaking Information Center, and National Kidney Foundation; and
• Ginny Burns, RN, BSN, MED, CDE, diabetes coordinator for Intermountain Health Care Physician Division, Salt Lake City, UT.

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