Posted on November 13, 2024
We continue our TidalHealth series “Grow With Us” and our November visit with Kelly Birch, RN, TidalHealth Nutrition and Diabetes Education.
If you’ve been through our Diabetes Education Program, Kelly is a familiar face with a boatload of wisdom and experience for those just beginning their diabetes journey to others who have been navigating it for a while.
From a CNA to begin her career here to an LPN, RN and now on track for her NP, she’s been a study in commitment to lifelong learning with a passion for helping others.
Monthly, we’ll introduce you to team members, like Kelly, who began their career at TidalHealth and advanced in the health system and beyond, and/or who have taken their careers to the next level with significant certifications and achievements.
Here’s Kelly’s “Grow With Us” story.
Thanks, Kelly, for the opportunity to grab a few minutes from your busy schedule and to learn more about your career at TidalHealth. We’ve been friends for quite a while, but for others who don’t know you, let’s get this interview rolling by introducing yourself to our readers by telling us about where you’re from, where you grew up, family, what brings you happiness in life…the Kelly Birch story.
Hey, Roger. I grew up right here on the Eastern Shore in Ocean City, Maryland and graduated from Stephen Decatur in 19?? Ha Ha!
My mother passed away at the young age of 33 from type 1 diabetes complications. I lived with my grandparents and spent much time with my father. I grew up loving horseback riding, boats, and being at the beach.
Family has always been important, and I now have 5 children (3 that I gave birth to, lol) and 8 grandchildren. I love them with all my heart. I am married to an amazing man who has supported my education and loves to take me on our boat. We spend time together at our grandchildren’s softball games, baseball games, ice hockey, rodeo, and other sporting events. We love to travel and am trying to do more of that as we get older.
God is the greatest thing that brings me joy and happiness in my life, and I know I would not have made it this far without him.
Before we get into your history, I just want to personally thank you for your help during my diabetes education classes after my diagnosis a few years ago. I love the passion you bring to that career. What inspires you most?
My inspiration comes from having a mother, like I said earlier, with type 1, myself with type 1 and seeing her pass away so young. I feel like I am living proof that diabetes can be self-managed. What patients need are the tools to help them self-manage diabetes, and hopefully you received them during our classes. It’s so exciting when a person with diabetes is taking the steps to control it and to live healthy with diabetes! That is such a satisfaction to me!
How did you find your way into the Nutrition and Diabetes Education Services?
Pam Silvia (a former leader of the program) approached me and asked if I wanted to join the team because they were adding inpatient diabetes education along with their outpatient services. With my background, this felt like the perfect fit!
Let’s take you back a few years. When did you start here at TidalHealth, then Peninsula Regional Medical Center, and what were you doing?
I started at TidalHealth in January of 1995 as a CNA working on a critical care telemetry unit (3 West) with awesome nurses who were very encouraging. So, it was a simple decision to go back to school, but a hard one raising 3 children as a single mother, but I was able to achieve my LPN through Wor-Wic Community College and continued working on the same critical care telemetry unit.
Your RN would follow. When and where did you get that and how have you used it within TidalHealth?
A few years later I became an RN with my associate degree from Wor-Wic and stayed working on the same unit with the same encouraging staff. Deborah Clayton started my love of pursuing education along with other teammates Cheryl Presto, Joyce LeCates, Donna Dillon, Trina Forney, and so many others! I love cardiology; however, I was pulled to Diabetes Education since I do have a personal and professional passion for this field. I became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist in 2010 and continue that role.
And now, as you continue up that ladder of nursing education, I know you are working on your NP degree. That’s awesome! What’s motivating that?
Back in 2020, I decided to go back for my MSN and complete an FNP program, it took a little longer as there were some uphill battles finding preceptors due to Covid regulations but finally this past May, I graduated with my MSN and will soon sit for my FNP boards. I was so lucky to have Jordan Braniff, Dr. Vijay, and Dr. Gupta as preceptors from TidalHealth. They were amazing and I learned so much from them.
I feel I can do more for our patients with diabetes as an NP and hope this will motivate others that you can do anything in this world even if you have a diagnosis of diabetes! My motivation comes from so many people. I wouldn’t be here today without the encouragement from Dr. Snitzer, Flora Glasgow, CRNP, Susan Cottongim, RD, LDN and, of course, my family.
Throughout your career, did you ever use our tuition reimbursement program and if so, how important was that to you?
I did use our tuition reimbursement throughout my career here at TidalHealth and it was such a benefit so many years ago as a single mother, it was a financial struggle, so this was a perfect way to get back to school and advancing my career. I also recently used tuition reimbursement, and it was so easy to receive. It was such a big help.
Nutrition and Diabetes was, for a long time, out there on its own and doing a great job, but now you’re joined forces with Population Health. How does that benefit your mission?
All I can say is it is an exciting time for people with diabetes in our area. For the inpatient diabetes educator there is a consult list for patients with A1C 9% or greater, type 1, having an insulin pump, or a consult from a provider. So, we will see a patient in the hospital with diabetes, and it is so nice to know we have a way to automatically refer these same patients to our Population Health team with either a Community Health Worker, Community Health Nurse, or even a Community Health Nurse Practitioner so they will have to tools they need to manage their diabetes. In turn, they are often referred to our outpatient diabetes education services. It has come full circle, and this is truly what our patients with diabetes need.
I also know that our diabetes program has been continuously certified by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) since 1999. That’s a remarkable accomplishment. To you, what does that say about this program?
What this clearly says is that we work hard to provide personalized education that is based on national standards. This program provides the framework for effective delivery of quality diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) through the National Standards of DSMES.
And it’s an extremely comprehensive program that offers much more than just education, right?
Absolutely. Our services here at TidalHealth include the DSMES classes, individual appointments with a Registered Dietitian, Continuous Glucose Monitor training, including Dexcom and Freestyle Libre, meter, insulin instruction, along with seeing our individual pediatric patients for self-management education. I feel as though we offer a personalized approach to diabetes education.
I’d like you to expand on our support groups…what they offer and why they are so important.
At TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, we have a diabetes support group on the second Monday of each month from September through May 6 to 7 p.m. in the Hallowell Conference Center with special timing for events in November because this is National Diabetes Month and December when we have an annual holiday social.
We are starting up the program at TidalHealth Nanticoke this month with a special event for National Diabetes Month, and then we will be having support group meetings there, too, on the third Monday of the month, 4 times each year.
I have been working on getting the speakers for these events and support groups for many years and love working with the providers that come and speak. We now have a part-time nurse diabetes educator that is helping with getting speakers, Catherine Hoffman, RN, DCES. We have had dietitians, providers from endocrinology, cardiology, podiatry, and many other services. Our participants are so appreciative of these free support groups, and I am extremely happy to work with them to improve the health of people with diabetes.
I know there are 30-40 million Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes but probably millions more who are not. What should be we looking out for?
Your numbers are pretty correct, Roger! I actually found out that 136 million people in the United States have diabetes or prediabetes: that’s nearly 1 in 2 people. Signs and symptoms of diabetes (high blood sugars) are:
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Blurry vision
- Slow-healing sores
- IFeeling tired and weak
- Weight loss without trying
- Patches of darker skin (usually formed in the skin folds and creases- neck)
Sometimes the symptoms are so mild they are hard to notice
You’ve been at this a while now. Can you ever see yourself doing anything different in healthcare?
Whatever I do, I am sure that I would like it to be centered around diabetes. I feel it is part of my calling to help patients with diabetes.
What message would you like to leave us all with as it pertains to diabetes, education, and self-care?
As a person who lives, works, and breathes diabetes, I believe it is important to receive the education regarding diabetes self-management, and remember, diabetes is not a death sentence, it can be managed so we can live an incredible healthy life!