Jackie L. Boucher, MS, RDN, is the recipient of the American Diabetes Association’s® (ADA’s) 2018 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes award. This award recognizes a distinguished health professional who has made outstanding educational efforts in the field of diabetes and has demonstrated significant contributions to the understanding of diabetes education.

Boucher will be recognized with this honor during the ADA’s 78th Scientific Sessions, June 22-26, 2018, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. She will deliver her Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award Lecture titled, “Connectedness: How Technology and Social Networks are Advancing Diabetes Nutrition Care,” on Saturday, June 23.

As President of Children’s HeartLink in Minneapolis, Ms. Boucher leads a global organization with the mission of training doctors and nurses in underserved parts of the world to diagnose and treat children with heart disease. Demonstrating her passion for improving health for all, Ms. Boucher was a lead investigator and continues as a co-investigator on Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project, a 10-year demonstration project with a goal of decreasing the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in a rural Minnesota community.

“Congratulations, Ms. Boucher, for your exceptional programs of research, education and advocacy, which have made a significant difference in the lives of people all over the world,” said the ADA’s 2018 President of Health Care and Education Felicia Hill-Briggs, PhD, ABPP. “You have demonstrated longstanding dedication and impact. We thank you for your important efforts, which have helped increase awareness about the major link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease in children.”

In addition to her contributions to more than 75 publications, Ms. Boucher has served on the editorial board for Practical Diabetology, as editor-in-chief of Diabetes Spectrum, and as a reviewer for the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Diabetes Care. She co-chaired the ADA’s nutrition position statement, published in 2013, and served as a content expert panel member for the American Association of Diabetes Educators Advanced Diabetes Management credential. 

The American Diabetes Association’s 78th Scientific Sessions, to be held June 22-26, 2018, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, is the world’s largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention and care. During the five-day meeting, more than 16,000 health care professionals from around the world will have exclusive access to more than 3,000 original diabetes research presentations, participate in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts, and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Education (CE) credits for educational sessions. The program is grouped into eight theme areas: Acute and Chronic Complications; Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Education and Exercise; Clinical Diabetes/Therapeutics; Epidemiology/Genetics; Immunology/Transplantation; Insulin Action/Molecular Metabolism; Integrated Physiology/Obesity; and Islet Biology/Insulin Secretion. Felicia Hill-Briggs, PhD, ABPP, President of Health Care and Education, will deliver her address, “The American Diabetes Association in the Era of Health Care Transformation,” on Saturday, June 23, and Jane E.B. Reusch, MD, President of Medicine and Science, will present her address, “24/7/365 – Lifetime with Diabetes,” on Sunday, June 24. In total, the 2018 Scientific Sessions includes 375 oral presentations; 2,117 poster presentations, including 47 moderated poster discussions; and 297 published-only abstracts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #2018ADA.