Diabetes Care Educ Spec

St. Mary’s Healthcare has been providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of Montgomery and Fulton counties since 1903. At St. Mary’s Hospital, the Rao Outpatient Pavilion and other locations, the local, independent healthcare organization offers the comprehensive, critical services its community needs and deserves. St. Mary’s Healthcare has also been named a 2025 Times Union Top Workplace—the first acute care hospital in the Capital Region to earn the distinction since the Times Union launched the recognition program 14 years ago.

Job Requisition: DIABE001505
Employment Type: Full-time
Shift: Days
Hours Per Week: 40-hour/week

Hiring range: Starting at $68,000.00

The actual compensation for this position will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive assessments for patients with diabetes, prediabetes, obesity, and metabolic disease.
• Identify individualized education, nutrition, and lifestyle goals in collaboration with patients and providers.
• Develop and implement patient‑centered care plans using evidence‑based standards, including American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) frameworks.
• Monitor patient progress and modify care plans based on outcomes and provider feedback.
• Provide diabetes self‑management education and support for newly diagnosed and established patients.
• Educate patients on glucose monitoring, medication adherence, lifestyle modification, and risk reduction.
• Deliver education in individual and group settings as appropriate.
• Serve as a clinical resource to Primary Care staff related to diabetes management.
• Provide medical nutrition therapy for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver disease, and related conditions.
• Deliver structured weight‑management counseling aligned with clinical goals and payer requirements.
• Support patients pursuing GLP‑1 therapy through nutrition counseling and required documentation.
• Collaborate with providers to support GLP‑1 initiation and continuation requirements.
• Complete and document nutrition counseling required for medication prior authorizations.
• Reduce medication denials by ensuring timely, compliant nutrition documentation.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with referring providers regarding patient progress and care plans.
• Document all encounters accurately and efficiently in the electronic medical record.
• Participate in interdisciplinary care planning and case discussions as needed.
• Utilize diabetes and prediabetes registries to support proactive outreach and patient engagement.
• Assist practices in identifying patients who would benefit from education and nutrition services.
• Support quality improvement efforts related to diabetes and metabolic outcomes.
• Attend meetings and trainings as assigned.
• Maintain required professional certifications and continuing education.
• Support community education initiatives related to diabetes and nutrition as appropriate.

Complexity of Work:

• Within scope of job, requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Must be able to work in a stressful environment. Must be able to speak, read, write and follow instructions in English.

Education, Training & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in nursing or Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or related field required. Advanced degree preferred.

Minimum of three (3) years of experience providing outpatient diabetes education and/or medical nutrition therapy.

Experience working within Primary Care or an interdisciplinary outpatient setting strongly preferred.

Required Skills and Attributes:

• Ability to organize and establish day-to-day priorities while utilizing critical thinking skills in all aspects of the job.
• Must be able to multitask while remaining professional, focused, composed and positive.
• Excellent customer service skills and must display integrity, friendliness, and compassion.
• Must be able to establish an appropriate and effective rapport with others.
• Must be flexible to take initiative and embrace new opportunities to grow both personally and organizationally.
• Problem solving skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office products: Outlook, Word, Excel
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong critical thinking skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently.
• Must be able to speak, read, write and follow instructions in English.