Workforce Development
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Six-Week Virtual Bootcamp
January 2026 - February 2026
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation works to improve health across Arkansas through community-based programs, including efforts to expand accredited diabetes education services in the state.
NADR Training
Preparing DSMES Professionals to Lead Quality
NADR delivered a six-week virtual bootcamp with the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation focused on preparing diabetes education professionals for the quality coordinator role within Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) programs.
The quality coordinator plays an important role in the operational infrastructure of a DSMES program, helping oversee program documentation, data, and continuous quality improvement. These functions support a program's ability to maintain consistent processes and meet accreditation requirements.
The six-week curriculum followed the operational lifecycle of a DSMES program, beginning with accreditation foundations and progressing through service delivery, continuous quality improvement, leadership and ongoing readiness.
Week 1 | Building the Foundation
What Is Accreditation & Standard 1: Building the Foundation
Week 2 | Designing Programs Around the Community
Standards 2–4: Designing Programs That Reflect Your Community
Week 3 | Delivering DSMES Services
Standard 5: Delivering DSMES Services
Week 4 | Leading Continuous Quality Improvement
Standard 6: Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
Week 5 | Leadership & Sustainability
Leadership & Sustainability in DSMES Programs
Week 6 | Maintaining Readiness
Reporting, Re-Accreditation & Future Readiness
Participants completed the training toward the DSMES Quality Lead Certificate™.
FROM KNOWLEDGE TO APPLICATION
Building Confidence in DSMES Documentation
The bootcamp was designed to help participants connect the National Standards for DSMES with the day-to-day systems and documentation required to support their programs.
Participants' confidence in documentation compliance aligned with the National Standards for DSMES increased from an average of 2.0 out of 5.0 before training to 4.5 out of 5.0 after training.
100% of participants said they would recommend the training to a peer.
The experience also demonstrated that professional development can remain valuable across different levels of experience. One participant, a quality coordinator with 20 years of experience leading an accredited program, shared that they still found the training valuable.
SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE BEHIND DSMES QUALITY
Strengthening the Workforce That Sustains Programs
The UAMS bootcamp reflects a central part of NADR's work: strengthening the workforce responsible for the systems behind DSMES delivery.
DSMES quality depends on more than providing diabetes education. Programs also need professionals who understand documentation requirements, can work with program data and can lead continuous quality improvement as part of ongoing operations.
NADR develops training that helps professionals build these skills and apply them within the organizations and communities they serve.
Through partnerships with health systems, public health organizations and other organizations supporting DSMES, NADR can adapt this approach to help teams strengthen their internal capacity for quality improvement and program sustainability.
