Spotlight on: Bernadine Tolbert
Soon, the Indian Health system will be wishing a fond farewell to one of our greatest leaders in delivering quality diabetes care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Dr. Bernadine Tolbert, Oklahoma Area Diabetes Consultant since [year], will be retiring. We will miss her spirit, her fierce determination, and her creativity very much.
Bernadine, we thank you for all you have done and all you have taught us. We wish you the best of luck in your retirement and in the many years to come!
Dr. Bernadine Tolbert is proud to have been known to agitate, aggravate and instigate for the continuous improvement of diabetes care. “When we talk about demonstrating success, we MUST have data! That’s why I have been so serious about quantifying activities,” says Dr. Tolbert.
Dr. Tolbert’s persistence about using data to deliver quality diabetes care has paid off. In 1995, only 21 I/T/U facilities in the Oklahoma City Area (OCA) were participating in the Annual IHS Diabetes Audit. By 2001, that number grew to 44; by 2005, all 47 I/T/U facilities were audit participants.
Dr. Tolbert has used the audit data to motivate and challenge I/T/U facilities to meet or exceed benchmarks. She hired an epidemiologist to create reports from the audit data for each of the I/T/U facilities. She compared how facilities in the Oklahoma City Area (as a group) compared with the national average on each of the audit criteria. Upon request, she would travel to the facilities and discuss their site’s audit results. These reports have been key motivators for I/T/U staff to make improvements in their delivery of diabetes care.
“Process measures can only take you so far,” Dr. Tolbert states. “You’ve got to have outcomes and that’s how you assess impact.” Ultimately, she challenges healthcare professionals to demonstrate outcomes that show the care they are providing is making a difference with the person living with diabetes.
Dr. Tolbert also has been a strong advocate for diabetes educators, recognizing their critical role in teaching patients self-management skills. She has challenged many nurses and dietitians to become certified diabetes educators (CDEs). Again, the proof of her commitment can be found in the numbers: in 1998, there were 12 CDEs in the OCA; by August 2006, there were over 50 CDEs.
Dr. Tolbert’s ultimate goal has been to see a population of patients that receives better health care and who are equipped with the necessary tools and skills to feel confident about managing their own diabetes. She declares, “I want to see patients begin to offer their own solutions to the challenges of self-management!”
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