Today in at special ceremony American Diabetes Wholesale paid tribute to Joyce Malaskovitz, PhD, RN, CDE, the winner of their 2nd Annual Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest. We also recognized esteemed Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest finalists Suzanne Laws, MS, RD, LD, CDE and Laura Terrio, RN, BS, CDE.

Created to recognize the unsung heroes of the diabetes epidemic, the Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest received an outpouring of support, and more than 60 people, in both the diabetes and non-medical communities, attended the awards ceremony. NBC 6 South Florida News Anchor and Type I diabetic, Joel Connable, hosted the event. Other attendees included diabetes education professionals, local dignitaries and members of our Destination Diabetes advisor team.

In addition, the event featured prominent speakers such as Donna Rice, immediate past President of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and Charlie Kimball, a 24 year-old race car driver who made international history with a podium finish in the Formula 3 Euro series in his first race – after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007.

Christopher Thomas of Diabetic Rockstar and Andy “Mr. Diabetes” Mandell of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation were also in attendance. We want to recognize the team at IPump.org for their support of this important award as well.

About Our Winner

Joyce Malaskovitz. Joyce believes in following dreams and taking risks. After the sudden death of her grandfather who was a diabetic, Joyce embarked upon her lifelong mission to become a nurse and certified diabetes educator, and to provide the best possible care to all people with diabetes.

For the past 18 years, she has worked as the Director of the Diabetes Treatment Center at Desert Springs Hospital, and in partnership with Healthways, has led the hospital to become the first in the nation to achieve the Certificate of Distinction for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care awarded by The Joint Commission. She has spent countless hours supporting diabetes colleagues across the nation to prepare for their certification. She also spends time assisting various community organizations and businesses to make a difference in the fight against diabetes. She is their voice, educator, leader, advocate and friend.

The American Diabetes Wholesale team extends a heartfelt thanks to everyone that made this award so special to all involved. Special thanks go to Home Diagnostics and the Boca Raton Resort & Club for making this year’s contest possible.

This year’s award was even better than last year, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to raise awareness about the importance of diabetes education.

After weeks of the votes coming in for whom should be recognized as American Diabetes Wholesale’s Diabetes Educator of the Year 2008, the three finalists have been announced:

• Suzanne Laws
• Joyce Malaskovitz
• Laurie Terrio

American Diabetes Wholesale would like to thank everyone out there who took the time to nominate a diabetes educator and vote for the final contestants, including the finalist runner-ups, Linda Aman and Janet Crockrel. It is crucial to recognize the efforts of diabetes educators all over the country, and our goal is to raise awareness of the contributions that these health professionals make as well as the positive impact they have upon the lives of their patients.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner at a special ceremony on May 1, 2009 in Boca Raton, Florida.

American Diabetes Wholesale is proud to announce the five finalists for Diabetes Educator of the Year for 2008! Our judges received hundreds of inspirational nominations from all over the country, and although it was challenging coming up with the five final nominees, here is the list:

• Linda C. Aman
  RN, BS, MSN, NP-C
  Joslin Diabetes Center, Affiliate at Providence Hospital, South, MI.
• Janet W. Brown Crockrel
  LPN, RN, CDE
  Ironton City Schools, OH
• Joyce Malaskovitz
  PhD, RN, CDE
  Diabetes Treatment Center at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Suzanne Swann Laws
  MS, RD, LD, CNS, FADA, BC-ADM, CDE
  Consulting Nutritionist & Diabetes Educator
• Laurie Terrio
  RN, BS, CDE
  St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH

Now it’s your turn to determine which of these dedicated individuals should be named the Diabetes Educator of the Year for 2008! The lucky winner will get a flight for two down to sunny South Florida for a 3 day/2 night stay at the luxurious Boca Raton Resort & Club! The winner will also be honored at a special ceremony, taking place on Friday, May 1st, 2009 coordinated by American Diabetes Wholesale and contest sponsors/supporters, including Home Diagnostics, iPump.org and the Defeat Diabetes Foundation.

We need your vote, and it’s easy! Just visit the Diabetes Educator of the Year 2008 Contest page, click on a nominee’s photo to read their biography in their own words and select the finalist in the poll to the right! Information about our esteemed panel judges Donna Rice, Chris Stocker and our local American Diabetes Association Team can be found there along with the rules, guidelines and details about last year’s contest.

If you have any questions about the Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest, please contact us – and thanks for your time and support!

Last Friday, American Diabetes Wholesale honored the winner of ADW’s Diabetes Educator of the year 2007 – Barbara Odom. We had a ceremony at our office with a few key speakers and some of Barbara’s family members. This was a great day for ADW as we rewarded Barbara for all her hard work. Barbara Odom is a truly amazing individual who is dedicated to her profession and to her patients. As the winner, she received a free two night stay at the luxurious Boca Resort and Spa.

American Diabetes Wholesale’s Diabetes Educator of the Year contest was created to honor and reward these healthcare professionals who are on the front lines helping in the fight against diabetes. Due to the great success of the first ever Diabetes Educator of the Year contest, our company has decided to make this an annual event. We understand the import role these educators play and we are hoping to have an even bigger event next year!

Congratulations Barbara – ADW is proud and honored to have you named our first ever Diabetes Educator of the Year!