The Health Care Team

Employees with diabetes are directly responsible for the day-to-day behaviors, medications, and actions that help them manage their disease. But they do not have to handle it alone.

Talk to your health plan about following the ADA Standards of Care for the Management of Diabetes. 

Some employers also offer an onsite health office.  Encourage communication between the occupational health professionals and the employees' primary diabetes health care team. Encourage the on-site health care staff to be up to date on ADA Standards of Care for the Management of Diabetes and the team care approach . 

Because diabetes is often associated with other health issues, people with diabetes should get support and sound advice from a team of health care and allied professionals, in addition to a primary care provider. Many team members may have special training in diabetes and have passed a special examination thus becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE).

The team might include:

• Endocrinologist
• General practice physician (family practice or internal medicine)
• Nurse practitioner
• Registered dietitian
• Diabetes nurse educator
• Eye doctor
• Social worker
• Mental health provider/psychologist/psychiatrist/marriage and family therapist
• Podiatrist
• Pharmacist
• Dentist/dental hygienist
• Exercise physiologist
• Lay/community health worker
• Patient navigator