Dr. Jessica is a talented and humble soul. She works to support those around her. She continually offers to help others in programs such as Emerging Leaders, School at Work, TEACH, and so much more. Through her tireless efforts, she was able to secure a grant to help implement the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program in American Samoa. She collaborated with her colleague BK, to ensure that every veteran they saw received the care they deserved.

To share a little more about the importance of the DSMES program and why it is so incredibly important is that not only is it the standard of care for diabetes management, but 1 in 4 of our veterans has diabetes. Jessica did not stop there; she has helped to integrate diabetes education into our nurse residency program by offering diabetes and health disparities education to our RN residents. Two of our cohort 2 RN residents were able to attend and receive CEs for the DSMES Train the Facilitator Training, enabling one resident to participate in implementing DSMES in American Samoa.

Word of her work in diabetes education and support for the residents as our PB-RNR Program Coordinator has spread, and Jessica has even been asked to share a diabetes training series for other residency programs throughout the country. We are incredibly blessed to have Jessica as a part of our nurse residency team, and I cannot wait to see what the next year brings. I know this is only one small story, and Jessica does so much more than this, and I feel it is important to stop for a moment and recognize her talent and dedication to her peers, trainees, and our veterans.