Bret Leach’s passion for diabetes care and education comes from a personal place.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 4, Leach brings his lived experience to his role as an inpatient certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) with Virtual Care Delivery.
Co-workers praise Leach for his commitment to collaboration, safety and reliability.
“Bret embodies the communication and advocacy that is core to the diabetes care and education specialist role,” said Betsy Williams, B.S.N., R.N., CDCES, manager, Inpatient Diabetes Care and Education, Virtual Care Delivery.
Leach, B.S.N., R.N., CDCES, began his career with Texas Health Resources in 2011 as a medical-surgical nurse at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne. He has been in his current role for 10 years.
“His positive, can-do attitude shines through even on the busiest of days,” Williams said. “He challenges us to think differently, eliminate waste, optimize tools and streamline workflows. His influence has made our team undeniably stronger.”
Learn more about Leach in his own words.
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 4 years old, and the compassion I received from my care team made a lasting impression. Even at that young age, I knew I wanted to help others the way they helped me. That experience guided me toward nursing and ultimately to my role as an inpatient CDCES, which truly feels like a full-circle moment.
What is your workday like?
My workday is a blend of virtual patient education and glycemic management. I visit with patients who are newly diagnosed with diabetes or who are starting insulin therapy after discharge, helping them feel confident in self-management after discharge. I also review systemwide glycemic trends to identify patients with values less than 70 or greater than 299, then collaborate with the care team to adjust regimens and help prevent recurrent days with hypo/hyperglycemia.
What is your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
My favorite part of my job is providing education to engaged patients where I can feel confident that they will be knowledgeable for safe self-care after discharge. The biggest challenge is, with the virtual diabetes team supporting all 14 wholly owned entities, each location has its own workflows and communication styles. Making sure information flows smoothly across such a large system can be challenging, but I work through that by building strong relationships and staying proactive in my communication.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
During the summer, I enjoy traveling to area lakes to wake surf behind my boat. I also love to cook gourmet meals and enjoy trying new and challenging recipes.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
I strive to live Our Texas Health Promise every day with every patient, every time. My personal motto is “Always treat others as you would want to be treated.”
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