Home Diagnostics

Clinical Support Specialists

Home Diagnostics' Clinical Support Specialists are a strategic resource to help support you in providing the best possible care to your patients with diabetes.

Debbie Childers, R.D., L.D., C.D.E. – Louisiana, Texas
Before HDI, Debbie spent the last ten years at Baylor University Medical Center's Ruth Collins Diabetes Center, most recently as Program Director of Diabetes Services. Debbie has managed, coordinated and participated as a speaker for diabetes-education events for both patient and professional audiences. Debbie is an active member of the North Dallas Chapter of the American Diabetes Association and is currently Chair Elect of the Council. Since 1990, she has been a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and has served as a past President of the North Texas Diabetes Educators Association. Debbie is a charter member of Home Diagnostics' ProSMART panel, having been its first appointed member.

Sandra E. Cortez, R.D., C.F.T. – Northern California, Nevada (except Las Vegas)
Sandra's bilingual fluency (English and Spanish) – coupled with enthusiasm and knowledge – make her an ideal fit for this geographic region. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science in dietetics from San Francisco State University, she quickly assumed positions as a clinical dietitian, nutrition consultant and diabetes educator in Berkeley and San Pablo, California. At a community health center, she led efforts to design, implement and evaluate care models while extensively working in diabetes education, intervention and counseling. Sandra has extensive experience with culturally diverse patients and their families.

David Cranford, R.N., B.S.N. – Georgia, South Carolina
David is a Registered Nurse with 20 years experience working in or serving the clinical community, with a focus on diabetes management. David's experience includes 14 years as a professional sales representative for LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson Company, where he provided sales and clinical support to diabetes healthcare providers including Endocrinologists, Diabetes Educators, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Pharmacists, and Durable Medical providers. As a top performer with LifeScan, David was able to inform and educate about the importance of blood glucose monitoring. David chaired the first Atlanta Diabetes University - a diabetes program that serves patients living with diabetes. David is a member of the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Association of Atlanta, and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

J. Renée Davis, R.D., C.D.E. – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Northern Illinois
As a certified diabetes educator, clinician and dietitian, Renée's been intimately involved in developing, implementing and overseeing a variety of educational and management initiatives dedicated to better outcomes for those with diabetes. Her varied positions – including time as clinician and dietitian at Heartland Health Diabetes Center in St. Joseph, MO – have allowed her to excel in communication with physicians, improving patient education and creating innovative programs designed to deliver better outcomes. Before joining HDI, Renée most recently served as a diabetes educator at Innovex where she was responsible for coordinating and implementing patient and professional, product-specific diabetes education programs to ensure that long-term goals were met.

Linda K. Dower, R.D., L.D., C.D.E. – Florida
Linda has spent her career helping people with diabetes better manage their disease, most recently as a Diabetes Nutrition Specialist at the University of Chicago. Linda worked closely with ten Endocrinologists to provide comprehensive education to outpatients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In July 2001, Linda was appointed coordinator of the University's ADA-recognized diabetes outpatient program, responsible for developing curriculums for group outpatient classes. She has extensive knowledge of all aspects of diabetes care, especially insulin therapy regimens, continuous glucose monitoring, insulin delivery devices and monitoring systems. Linda is a registered dietitian and has coauthored two recipe books published especially for people with diabetes.

Joy L. Gallimore, R.N., B.S.N. – Kentucky, Ohio
With an extensive background in diabetes education, as well as instructing and lecturing about healthcare, Joy brings an ideal combination of skills to her work as a diabetes educator for Home Diagnostics, Inc. At her most recent position at Highland Hospital in Ohio, Joy served as diabetes education program coordinator, insulin pump trainer, and was responsible for the management of education programs. She's also spent time as a clinical instructor at a community college. Joy received her B.S. in nursing from Ohio University in May 1997. She is a member of the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Kellie Gragg, R.D., L.D., CAWM – Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
Kellie is a registered and licensed dietitian with 25 years professional experience. For the last ten years, she's been in private practice with an emphasis on diabetes counseling/education, and adult and teen weight management. She's also served as a consultant, educator and evaluator for the Colorado Department of Public Health's Diabetes Prevention Program, and the Center for Disease Control's "Steps to a Healthier US Cooperative Agreement Program." Additional past experience includes work for 22 regional senior centers, healthcare agencies, Head Start, and the renowned Center for Creative Leadership. Kellie is a member of the American Dietetic Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Rocky Mountain Association of Diabetes Educators and the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition (COPAN) group.

Cathy Herman, M.S., R.D. – Southern California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Hawaii
Cathy has spent more than 15 years working as a registered dietitian, including directing nutritional-care services at a number of west coast medical centers. For the past five years, Cathy provided sales and clinical support for enteral delivery devices to physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, hospitals, home care, long-term care facilities and durable medical equipment providers. Cathy carries a Master of Science in Biology from California State University and a Master of Agriculture in Advanced Human Nutrition. She is a member in good standing of the American Dietetic Association, California Dietetic Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Bernadine L. Shaw-Scott, R.D., C.D.E. – Michigan, Indiana
Along with extensive experience as a health educator and adjunct instructor, Bernadine's past positions as a clinical dietitian and nutrition program specialist provide her with a wealth of knowledge about several key areas critical to better diabetes care and an improved lifestyle. She brings 30+ years background as a registered dietitian and over ten years as a C.D.E. to HDI. Most recently, she served for over six years as a health educator II and program dietitian at St. Joseph's Healthcare in their Diabetes Self-Management Training Program. There, she was deeply involved in outpatient assessment and training, along with development of program curriculums and treatment recommendations. Bernadine is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the ADA's Speaker's Bureau, as well as being active in a host of other industry groups and associations.