Feature article:

Ginger Kanzer-Lewis Joins Diabetes in Control Editorial Team

 

Ginger Kanzer-Lewis, RNC, EdM, CDE, Past President AADE has joined the writing team at Diabetes in Control. Ginger has been working with patients for over 30 years and is owner of GLK Associates in Panoma NY.

 

We asked Ginger to explain why she had decided to join us and what she will be writing about.

 

"I have been asked to write a column about my favorite topic in diabetes “The Human Side of Diabetes”.

 

For almost thirty years I have been concerned about teaching people with diabetes and the motivation of patients and the health care professionals who care for them.

 

I think this forum gives me the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with a large audience of people who care about the same things that I do.

 

It also gives us a chance to ask questions and learn from each other. I may not have all the answers but I really ask good questions.  It certainly sounds like fun to me.

 

We have grown by leaps and bounds in our knowledge of diabetes, especially since the early 1990s, and we still need to go to square one when we are dealing with the human component. Each person is an individual with special issues, needs and problems and there is a whole structure of family, friends, coworkers and people we label significant others, who are involved in the life and lifestyle of this person with diabetes. It is very rare that someone who has diabetes is alone in his or her management of the disease. At least one person had to give them a diagnosis and we hope made some attempt to teach them something about it.

 

In the last few years we have added another ingredient into the recipe and examined the issue of cultural diversity. Recognition that each ethic group has individual needs and concerns has reached the forefront of investigation. Research is being conducted by much more qualified people than I into the specific ethnic issues of each population and we will be working with some of their results and conclusions. I will also be sharing with you my experience and opinions in dealing with many of these groups of people who just happen to have diabetes.

 

People diagnosed with diabetes need to make a choice. They can be a Diabetic or a person who happens to have diabetes. This column will be dedicated to the people we care for and teach. It might give you some suggestions, anecdotes and even legitimate adult education methodology for getting through to your patients.

 

Over the last twenty years I have been lucky enough to do the thing I enjoy best, teaching people to teach. If you choose to ask me for suggestions about your patient problems I will attempt to give you my best ideas. Some of these ideas come from the most wonderful people I know, diabetes educators and the people they teach.

 

I look forward to working with you."

 

Ginger Kanzer Lewis has been teaching people with Diabetes for almost thirty years. She is a Registered Nurses with a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University and Certification in both Diabetes and Continuing Education and Staff Development. Ginger has spent over twenty years teaching educational methodology to health care professionals while working as Director of Staff Development or Education in Hospitals through out the North East. Ginger is the immediate Past President of AADE and is a well known national and international speaker.

 

If you have a question for Ginger please click here