Executive Leadership & Expert Bios

Betsy Rodriguez

Public Health Advisor, National Diabetes Education Program, Division of Diabetes Translation, NCCDPHP

 

Betsy Rodríguez works as a public health advisor in the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) in the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT). She has worked at CDC since 2001. Ms. Rodriguez is the project officer for the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, and is also one of the project leaders of the Latino Initiative in DDT. She has been the driving force behind NDEP’s efforts to work with the entertainment industry and with international diabetes organizations.

Ms. Rodríguez is a nurse who specializes in chronic and critical care, and is a certified diabetes educator. She is also a bicultural specialist in social marketing strategies and in the development of media products for the Hispanic Latino population. Since 1990 Betsy has been working with the International Diabetes Federation in the Central and South America Region (SACA) coordinating diabetes health education programs and the SACA strategic plan.

She has taught at the Pontifical Catholic University and the Interamerican University in Puerto Rico in the bachelor and master nursing schools. She is author of several articles on diabetes care delivery in the Puerto Rico Health system.

She was also the founder of Programa Educativo de Salud Integral, In. (PESI), a Health Education and Prevention Program. The program has a multidisciplinary approach. Nurses, dietitians, health educators, diabetes educators, community heath workers and social workers provide the services. The program covers the central and southeast of Puerto Rico, having a diverse portfolio of health education and promotion services targeted to health insurances and their insurers and reaching out 450,000 insurers and 670 health care providers. The program has been in existence since 1996 to present.

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