Chelsey Clark—a registered dietician since 2012 and a Livingston
HealthCare employee since 2014—recently earned her Certified Diabetes
Educator® (CDE) certificate. The certification is the culmination
of more than 1,000 hours of professional practice experience and a rigorous
written examination. A Certified Diabetes Educator teaches and supports
people affected by diabetes in order that they may better understand and
manage their condition.
Clark’s multifaceted role at Livingston HealthCare includes meeting
with Clinic, Hospital and Home Health patients for dietary and diabetes
consultations. She also helps run a year-long diabetes prevention course
to help people who are prediabetic lose weight and make healthier choices
in order to prevent a diabetes diagnosis. In addition, she collaborates
with Community Health Partners and Livingston HealthCare team members
to facilitate Diabetes Education and Empowerment (D.E.E.P.) classes in
Park County.
“Having patients see their lab results come back better is really
exciting. It helps them continue to make healthy choices when they see
that their A1C is better, or their cholesterol is lower, or that they’re
managing their blood pressure on less medication,” says Clark.
“I really like helping people see that eating more fruits and vegetables
is super beneficial—it doesn’t have to be really hard or require
hours of preparation. And healthy food
does taste good!” she adds. Asked to name one tip she’d share with
readers, Clark quickly responds, “Eat half a plate of vegetables
at most meals.”
Clark’s goal is to provide Diabetes Self-Management Education to
all diabetic individuals in the Park County community and surrounding
areas. She states, “Livingston HealthCare estimates that about 26%
of those who are eligible for Diabetes Self-Management Training in Park
County are using the service. I would like to see this number be higher.”