The certified diabetes educator workforce in New York: findings from a statewide survey.

More than 1.8 million New York residents have diabetes, and diabetes prevalence in the state has doubled in the last decade. As part of its $35 million five-year campaign to reverse the diabetes epidemic in New York, the New York State Health Foundation's Diabetes Policy Center partnered with the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, to conduct a workforce study of certified diabetes educators (CDEs) in New York and develop recommendations for improving access to diabetes self-management education. The findings from this study suggest that providers of diabetes services must identify new ways to use the existing supply of CDE more effectively. With their small numbers and uneven distribution across New York, creative strategies are needed to maximize the impact of CDEs in helping patients effectively manage diabetes and prevent its occurrence.