Dr. Kathaleen Briggs Early’s Expertise Informs National Standards
PNWU Founding Professor Dr. Kathleen Briggs Early Brings Her Experience to the American Diabetes Association’s 2025 Guidelines, Transforming How Experts Approach Diabetes
PNWU Professor of Nutrition Dr. Kathaleen Briggs Early’s career is founded on a single, steadfast belief: nutrition is key to managing health, especially in underserved communities. That belief has long inspired a clear and focused approach to care, which in turn has helped over 1,500 PNWU graduates to better understand the impact nutrition plays on overall health.
Recently, Dr. Briggs Early was invited to join the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Professional Practice Committee (PPC), where she became the only nutritionist on a 20-person team tasked with updating the national guidelines for diabetes care.
Her expertise in nutrition and diabetes education, combined with her deep understanding of the broader social and emotional challenges that people with diabetes face, made her an ideal contributing author for guidelines which will inform care throughout the United States.
“This opportunity to contribute to the ADA guidelines has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career.”
“This opportunity to contribute to the ADA guidelines has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career,” said Dr. Briggs Early.
Co-leading the effort to revise the section titled, “Facilitating Positive Health Behaviors and Well-being to Improve Health Outcomes,” Dr. Briggs Early’s expertise will serve to set national guidelines addressing diabetes self-management education, medical nutrition therapy, and the psychosocial aspects of care. The section underscores the importance of lifestyle and behavior change in managing diabetes — an issue Dr. Briggs Early has championed for decades.
Having long advocated for a more holistic approach to healthcare — one that addresses the root causes of chronic conditions like diabetes through prevention, education, and behavioral support – Dr. Briggs Early’s contributions to the guidelines highlight how nutrition can be used to manage and even reverse diabetes, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.
“As a nutritionist and diabetes educator practicing in Yakima, I see folks with diabetes who cannot access healthy food and diabetes self-management education,” Dr. Briggs Early explained. “It is imperative that healthcare professionals see diabetes as a chronic condition reliant on healthy lifestyle habits including eating, exercise, and sleep. These warrant just as much attention as medications.”
Dr. Briggs Early’s role on the ADA’s PPC is part of a larger, ongoing effort to ensure that the best practices in diabetes care are widely accessible, especially in rural communities where diabetes rates are often higher and healthcare access can be limited.
Through her work, Dr. Briggs Early’s knowledge will reach far beyond the walls of PNWU, directly impacting the way healthcare professionals approach diabetes care nationwide. But for her, it’s all about the people that stand to benefit from better, more accessible care.
“These guidelines inform clinical practice and make a meaningful and positive impact at multiple levels across the healthcare system.”
“My work with the ADA standards of care is motivated by a desire to reduce the burden of diabetes on Americans both locally and nationally,” said Dr. Briggs Early. “These guidelines inform clinical practice and make a meaningful and positive impact at multiple levels across the healthcare system, from the legislative level to the one-on-one visit between a healthcare professional and a person with diabetes.”
