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The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D.
Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes.
Learn more at BlueCircleHealth.org
Living with T1D is hard enough without
having to explain your cultural
reality or your lived experience.
But what if you could find a care team
that didn't just understand the math
of diabetes, but fully understood you,
your background, and your culture?
My name is Scott, and today we're
joined by Kacey Sochacki, Executive
Director and Co-Founder of Diversity in
Diabetes, to talk about why inclusive
care isn't just a buzzword, it's a
critical component of your healthcare
that you deserve to experience.
But before we continue, I need to
remind you that we're not providing
medical advice or endorsing any
specific products or brands.
We'll always encourage you to consult your
healthcare team for personalized guidance.
Kacey,
it's so great to have you here.
I've been a huge fan of
yours for a long time.
for listeners who are not familiar,
can you share a little bit about
yourself and your life with T1D?
Yeah, for sure.
thank you so much for having me on.
I was diagnosed with type 1
diabetes when I was seven years old.
This past February, I
celebrated my 24th diaversary.
Ever since I was diagnosed, I knew I
wanted to be in the diabetes space, just
because when I was first diagnosed, I
had such a great team that immediately
got me connected to the diabetes
community through, summer camps.
Just being connected to that community,
so quick, I was like, "I love this.
Everyone should have this." and really
wanted to just deep dive into that and
make that kind of my, career and, my life.
So here we are now.
Yeah.
That's amazing.
And I know you've also had some
pretty big life milestones recently.
Tell us a little bit more about
what's going on there and,
congratulations on everything.
Thanks.
Yeah, I feel like I just decided
to check off all the big life
things, like back to back.
A little over a year ago, got married.
Before that, moved from Texas to Arizona.
I'm born and raised Texan.
All of my family is from Texas, and so
three years ago, moved here, found my
now husband, and that's been amazing.
And then now about 12 days ago, we
welcomed our first, newborn, son.
His name's Quinn.
and so yeah, definitely have just
been checking everything off.
yeah, you are.
You're, like, moving through
it in warp speed, but it's all,
amazing things, so congratulations.
And I really thank you for taking
time to join me on the show.
And just so the listeners don't give me
a hard time, I really told … Kacey,
li- listen, we can wait on this, but
she insisted, so we're, very, grateful.
So you mentioned Arizona.
You're currently working
at WIC in Arizona, right?
Tell me a little more about that, and
how does your experience living with
T1D intersect with your work there?
Yeah, for sure.
So I can kinda go a little bit,
back more of- again, I knew I
wanted to be in the diabetes space.
And, when I was, trying to figure
out what that looked like, all I
really knew was diabetes educators.
Yep … so I was like, "Okay, that's what
I'm gonna do." started off thinking I
was going to be a nurse, and when I was
in college, I had to take a nutrition
class, and realized I absolutely loved
just deep diving into nutrition and
understanding that a little bit more over,
like, how that helped my own management.
and so once I kinda was doing a lot
more free time research on nutrition,
I was like, "Oh, wait. I could actually
change my degree, and I could be a
dietician." so that's what I did.
One of my classes was community nutrition.
We had to do a rotation at WIC.
A local WIC, agency, and I
immediately fell in love with just
the approach that organization had.
we're not just giving food benefits,
not just giving education, but we're
also connecting them to the amazing
resources that's, in our area.
Yeah.
It sounds really fulfilling.
I also can imagine, not knowing much about
that space that I, I even immediately
started to think about overlap in people
with type 1 diabetes often fall through
the cracks in their everyday healthcare
system, and I imagine it's similar
with WIC, where people are just falling
through the cracks because they either
don't know about what's available for
them, or there are barriers in the way.
And so y- you, it sounds like you and,
your colleagues at WIC and the different
departments really work to remove
those barriers and, and just surround
them with whatever help you can offer.
All right.
let's shift and talk
about Diversity in Diabetes.
So you also co-founded Diversity
in Diabetes, or DID for short.
For the listeners who are discovering
this organization for the first time,
how do you describe what DID is all
about, and what was that aha moment
where you realized, "We need to build
this because it doesn't exist yet"?
Yeah.
So we, when I say we, my co-founder,
Quisha Umemba, her and I, we met so
randomly at a diabetes conference.
Her and I got partnered together to table
for a different organization, College
Diabetes Network, but now Diabetes Link.
so I've been a part of the Diabetes
Link since I was in college.
I signed up to table at a conference
that they were at, in Austin.
So went there, and then that was when
they were doing, a mentor program.
Her and I, we got partnered together,
and at that conference, we looked
around and, she went and talked to
other people and she came back and she
said, "There's nobody here that looks
like me." we started just chatting the
rest of the conference over how that
has really been what I've noticed.
Again, I've been in the diabetes
space for, since I was eight years
old when I went to summer camp, and
realized that it is very one, voice.
Again, we were chatting, we were trying
to figure out, "Okay," "what can we do?"
'Cause the- Yeah … information that is
given at these conferences and just the
connections that are happening, we're
like, "Everyone needs to experience this."
And it's life changing.
Yeah.
And so we talked about what we could
do, and we came to the conclusion
of hosting the first ever People of
Color Living With Diabetes Summit.
So at that point, we were going to do
in person, and then COVID happened, and
we had to pivot and we did it virtually.
But the impact that it had from that first
summit was Amazing, obviously, 'cause here
we are now, and we heard immediately after
the summit of just, like, how important
it was for people to hear experiences
from people who looked like them.
Yeah.
When they were talking about,
cultural foods and how to manage their
diabetes that way and to not, get
rid of eating those cultural foods.
But, you can still eat it,
and you can enjoy it, and,
you can manage your diabetes.
And so that, that was the
aha moment, immediately.
And so after that, we weren't even
a non-profit yet, but then after a
couple months we were like, "All right,
Diversity in Diabetes it is. we… Let's
do this thing," and, here we are now.
Love that.
Yeah, I had the chance to listen
to her speak at the most recent,
Diabetes Mine D-DATA event.
she's amazing.
I'm so glad that, you two got connected,
and the world is a much better place
for it, so, thank you for that.
The US healthcare system
often feels a lot like a maze.
How is the systemic disconnect
amplified when cultural and
lived realities are ignored?
And that, that's part of something that
Diversity in Diabetes cares about a lot.
too.
It's not just the representation
in those conferences and at
these events and in social media.
It's, much bigger than that, right?
Yeah, for sure.
So something that I like to think about
when I think of DID and, what we're doing,
we're not trying to recreate the wheel.
Again, there's so many great resources
that organizations are doing, but
it's not getting to people, especially
more on, the local level as well,
and I've really been able to see
that through my dietetic internship.
the things that I know, because
I've been in this space for a
long time, these providers who are
seeing people with diabetes every
single day, they have no idea about.
they don't know about the diabetes
online community and how- strong that is,
and just the nuances of our community.
And I feel when you don't understand
that piece, then it is hard to really
get people connected to resources that
are going to be helpful because you
can give people education all day long,
but I feel like I learn the best, and
it really sticks, and just feeling
that support whenever I am able to
talk to my people who have diabetes.
So it does feel like a maze, 100%,
and I think it's just because
diabetes is so intricate, right?
there's so many different
pieces that go into it.
Can you talk a little bit more about in
your lived experience as a nutritionist
working in WIC and working through all
the things that you do at Diversity in
Diabetes, where do you typically see the
most friction between clinical nutrition
advice for people with diabetes and maybe
their actual cultural food ways, and,
why does the system often, so often fail
to see the whole person in these cases?
There's so many things.
But- time, right?
it's hard.
I think that a lot of people need
30, 45-minute sessions- Yeah … an
hour session to not only, give more
education and more information,
but also reiterate the information
that was given the session before.
Yeah.
Just because these people, they're being
seen, every three months or every six
months, and life happens in between that.
But I
think- there's also not enough
time to ask questions, too, right?
you need to ask people what does
their everyday life look like in,
in their culture, and especially if
it's something that you maybe are
not personally familiar with, Right.
Exactly.
And I think something that I've, super
learned as well, being here in, Phoenix,
we have a big Hispanic population, and
for a lot of people, they eat at, 8:00 PM.
And, that's- Yeah … dinner.
So it's just understanding not just,
the foods, but also, practices and,
how these communities, actually live
their day-to-day, and not just assume
you know that, they're gonna eat
food at 8:00 AM, 12:00, and 5:00 PM.
But I've been able to really see that,
because in my own day-to-day, we have
about, 18 appointments scheduled, and some
of them are only scheduled for 15 minutes.
Yeah.
And it's like I can't even, go in
depth over, what you're eating.
Also, this was something that
I wanted to mention when you
asked about, cultural barriers.
But it's, kinda tying in with,
that language, but it's, language
barrier, but it's if I don't know
the name of, that specific dish that
someone's eating, then I don't know
if there are veggies or carbs or…
You know- Yeah … I don't
know what's in there.
And they may say, "Oh, I'm eating,
this, and this," and my brain's like,
"I didn't hear a single veggie in there.
I need to-" talk a little over that.
But if we had that time to… or just
that time to get educated in what
these dishes are, then it's like,
okay, cool, so they're eating this.
There is that amount of veggies in it.
I don't have to hit home on that.
So that, that's something else that
i- is a barrier, too, just, simply not
knowing what these different dishes-
Yeah … may be for these communities.
Yeah.
And that does, I agree, it ties very much
into the, just the time pressure that
you're under, and, it's really hard to
do everything that you're asked to do in
such a short period of time and dive deep
enough to know and understand what these,
foods and, cultural realities look like.
Talking about, diversity in all the
topics, but especially in diabetes, I
often hear the term cultural humility.
Can you describe a little bit more
about what that means, especially in
regards to healthcare and diabetes?
Yeah.
I think when I hear that word, it's just
understanding and taking a step back of
you as a provider, don't know everything.
And so just honoring the individual
living with diabetes, like their culture,
and understanding- Yeah … that like
that can be at, or that is kinda at the
forefront of their life, and, you really
want to honor that as much as you can.
and again, just like helping
make diabetes fit into that.
Yeah.
Thank you.
And is there anything that you can
think of, or does anything come to
mind when someone with type 1 diabetes
might be asking their doctor, is there
like a question or some kind of key
phrase that helps them really check
for that cultural humility in that
person across the desk or across the
room from them- in diabetes care?
Yeah.
that's a good question, for sure.
And maybe there's not.
it's That's a, it's a big, that's
a big question or a big thing
to try and figure out with just
one question or phrase, Right.
I think it's also, too, of like you
have to make sure… Like I, I've heard
before, you can fire your provider, right?
it's not like you can't leave.
it- y- there's always, hopefully
going to be someone out there that,
your insurance can cover or whatever.
It's like you want to be interviewing
that provider when you first see them.
Yeah … and that's okay if you're
kinda like hitting the, or asking the
hard-hitting questions of, what their
experience is with their specific culture.
And, if it doesn't, feel like y'all
are gonna jive and, that provider
d- really just didn't feel like they
understood, your culture, that's okay
to, one, ask if there is anyone else
that they would, they could refer you to.
And then also, if not, or you don't
even feel comfy to ask if they can
be referred to someone else, then
just try to yeah, navigate and try
to find someone else in your area.
Yeah.
That's a really great, a great point.
And also, I think even if you are
dealing with someone who maybe doesn't
know, but they feel like they're
willing to learn with you, that can
be a whole different ballgame than
someone who's just not willing to learn.
That's a, that's not a good match.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
So it's, you really have to kinda feel
it out and, see, if their personality
does point to okay, cool, like maybe they
don't really know, but I feel comfortable
enough that I can share, these like
important topics at each of my sessions,
and that they're going to, learn.
Because also I think, too, it's like
there are a lot of providers out there
that wanna learn, and it can be hard to
just, learn off of the internet and off
of- these trainings that, they have to
do per their, their hospital or whatever.
So it's nice, too, like whenever the
person with diabetes and the provider
can, work together to, help the
provider learn for the next person
that is living, similar lifestyles and
hopefully they can help someone else
a little bit better down the road.
Yeah.
It's all about helping and knowing where
to, go and, also their awareness of
knowing that, okay, maybe I'm not the
best, and it'd be, it would be in the
best in- interest of this person that
I'm helping, to, see a colleague or
another, another medical professional
And speaking of that, Diversity in
Diabetes has built a really incredible
resource in the care directory.
Can you explain a little bit more about
what that directory is and maybe more
importantly, how it actually functions
as a tool for someone who feels maybe
stuck or alienated by their current care?
Walk us through a typical
experience on the directory.
What's the first step someone should
take when they land on that page?
Yeah, there are so many different
providers that are on that directory.
It's not just dieticians or NPs.
we have a physical therapist on there,
and I'm pretty sure we have a dentist.
So there are so many different
providers who we do vet, we
make sure that they're not just
filling out this application- Yeah
and they get on the website.
we definitely make sure that, they
are who they say they are, and, they
are making sure that the language
that they're using and the approach
to diabetes management is something
that, we truly do believe in at DID.
Whenever you first come to our website
and you click on the care directory, you
can filter it out to providers who see
remotely, or if you wanna go in person,
then you can filter out your state, the
location, and then, different languages
that are spoken, different practices.
So you can really filter it
out and try to find, what you
are specifically looking for.
and then all of their
information is on there.
you can go to their website or
just email, call, if they provided
that, and you're able to, like-
Yeah
…
easily directly get connected to
these people who seem like they
could be a good fit for you.
Wonderful.
And it's something that you all
are updating all the time, right?
It's, so if somebody goes and visits and
they don't find what they're looking for
today, it might be a good idea for them
to check back every so often, right?
Yeah, for sure.
So in a way, the care directory
is still fairly new, right?
I think it's been about two years
that we've- really started pushing,
and last time I checked, I think we
have a little over 100 providers on
there, which is amazing, and every
year we're getting bigger and bigger.
And, so yeah, you can sign up for our
newsletter, or we are also posting on our
Instagram and LinkedIn, who's being added.
And, that way is nice, too, because you
can get connected to their socials if
they have it and understand who they are
as a person and their, practice a little
bit more if you wanna do that before you,
jump the gun and- Yeah … and connect
with them just, from a phone call.
Yeah.
I'm glad you said that because it does
take a bit of emotional energy to be
willing to open yourself up to a, to
adding a new member to your, care team.
So with, that in mind, I would also ask
anyone out there listening, if you're
working with a healthcare professional
that you think really has it down
and, is great at the cultural humility
that we talked about a minute ago,
maybe encourage them to sign up on
the directory so that other people, at
least other people in your area might
be able to take advantage of that, too.
So I just really applaud the
efforts that you all are making,
Kacey, at Diversity in Diabetes
to build up such a great resource.
and I'm amazed that it's come
so far in just two years.
It feels much- Yeah … richer than that.
Thanks.
Yeah.
And I'm glad that you…
Thank you for, saying that.
if people have a provider and they're
like, "Oh yeah, you should be on there,"
we do wanna help people with diabetes,
but we also wanna help these providers
who are seeing people with diabetes.
So-
when you're on the care directory, we
do reach out once a month of sending a
specific newsletter to them, like, asking
how we can help them specifically, like
if they have a, presentation coming
up, or they're providing, services or
anything like that they wanna get out.
We're really trying to work hand-in-hand
of, getting that resources to people
and helping the, providers as well
just, get the help that they need, too.
Yeah, that's great.
It's, it, that ties back into what we
were talking about before, where they are
so pressed for time that anything that
we can do to help them is a, great add.
So all right, this is a
great time for a quick break.
We've covered some practical tools for
of auditing your own care team, and
when we come back, I wanna zoom out a
little bit and talk about how individual
actions can actually ripple out and
change the entire system for the better.
We'll be right back
One of my favorite things is sharing
a quick story from someone who has
participated in the Blue Circle Health
program, and we have one today from Galini
People don't generally understand about
Type 1 diabetes is you're still the person
making all the decisions about everything.
It can take its toll.
Diabetes does not take a day off, right?
You're fighting between, insurance
companies and providers to even
get medication that you need.
You get completely demotivated when
you have constantly a, a healthcare
system that does not work for you.
It works against you.
As soon as, Xanadu, connected
with me, we were crying.
Having somebody who really has
the lived-in experience with
diabetes just opens the door.
I was the person, I was Galini, who
has carried this disease for 32 years.
This is meaningful care.
Wow.
Thank you, Galini.
Now, this episode is all about breaking
down barriers in diabetes care.
If you're an adult living with Type 1
diabetes or a healthcare professional,
you should know about the T1D Exchange,
or T1DX HEAL program, H-E-A-L.
HEAL stands for Health
Equity Advancement Lab.
The goal is to achieve equity for all
people living with diabetes through
innovative approaches in the T1D Exchange
Quality Improvement Collaborative.
The T1DX HEAL is a network of health
equity, clinical, and research leaders
who provide thought leadership around
T1DX health equity initiatives.
HEAL contributes to best practices
regarding equitable diabetes
care through multiple strategies.
They work directly with endocrinology
clinics nationwide to identify
barriers and ways to improve
care for people with diabetes.
They believe that everyone living
with T1D deserves equal access to
the best technology available, no
matter their zip code or background.
So you can learn more about
their quality improvement work
and more at t1dexchange.org.
And then as you heard Kacey mention
working with the Diabetes Link is another
great partner non-profit organization
that specializes in, resources and
tools for young adults living with
Type 1 diabetes, and you can find more
about them at thediabeteslink.org.
They have a tremendous resource
hub and are just another great
organization to know, so check
them out as well, diabeteslink.org.
We'll be sure to link both of these
organizations in the show notes
So we, talked about, finding individual
care that sees the entire person, but
it kinda sucks that we have to do that
legwork in the first place, right?
So I, again, I wanna zoom out a little bit
and start talking about the system as a
whole, the healthcare system as a whole.
Kacey, many people living with diabetes
hesitate to speak up 'cause they fear
being labeled difficult or maybe burning
bridges with their care team, right?
We were talking a little bit
about that just before the break.
Is there anything that we can do
to help them maybe reframe that?
a- and does that one uncomfortable
moment of advocacy actually ripple
out, to create more systemic pressure,
or are we just making noise here?
How do we help people see themselves
as bridge builders for the next
person, rather than just these,
quote unquote, "difficult patients"?
Yeah.
And obviously, I have had that own
experience, especially- during pregnancy,
but also my whole, journey with
diabetes, and that can be hard, right?
it definitely takes a certain courage.
It, just comes with living with diabetes
that, we just have to have this certain,
confidence, and I feel like it really
helps if you do your research as well.
Kinda take charge of your management.
there, again, there's so many different
great resources out there that, help
you research a little bit more over,
the new technology or just, new
treatment options or again, just,
connecting with the diabetes community
to hel- hear how they're doing things.
Sounds like learning some tips and tricks
of the trade that you can then have a
more, more educated conversation with
your healthcare team to start, making
your life at that point a bit easier.
Yeah, that's great.
What about, representation in
research studies and things like that?
That's also something I know
is on your radar, and you're
doing some great work there.
Can you talk a little bit about that, too?
Yeah.
It's obviously super important
because we can't just, do research
over, white men and their, whatever.
It's, we need to make sure that this
medication, this treatment is working for
literally everyone before it is put out.
So I'll say that, but then I'll also
say they need to build trust as well.
There's So much that has happened in
the space of research and different
cultural backgrounds that it has just
crushed that, that trust, and so people
don't want to be involved, obviously.
And then, two, it can be difficult,
for people who do wanna be involved
to even, fit the criteria to do it.
There's so many different factors,
as always, that goes into it
of what needs to be changed.
we have to do a lot to
build that trust back up.
We need to really help people understand
the importance of being in these
trials, because if we don't have
people willing to do it, then, the-
Right
people writing the research, they can
only do so much, but it's crucial, right?
we definitely need to know if these
things being improved- approved
is going to work for everyone.
I think it's also really important
to include diverse communities
in the very early stages, right?
There's a lot of barriers that we need
to remove, even simple things beyond
what you described with the trust.
Yeah, immediately, they need to be in the
room at the very beginning, like you said.
There are so many people out there who
are so passionate, and they are not
waiting to be invited to these tables.
they're bringing their chair, and
they're sitting down, and they-
Yeah … and they're doing it.
And really want to amplify, their work
that they're doing and trying to find,
those individuals and, make sure- that
they're being able to be in those spaces
as well and, kinda what we can do to help,
make sure that they're in those spaces.
Yeah.
That's a perfect segue
into my next question.
So for those of us, and for those who
feel that they've, they already have
it good enough, it might be easy to sit
back and say, "All right. This really,
this isn't my problem." But how do we
invite those people into the mission?
What can the average person living
with T1D do to help build a more
inclusive, accessible landscape
for others in our community?
And maybe it's as simple as what you
just described and recognizing and
amplifying and energizing those who are
doing a really good job in that way.
Yeah.
it's not their problem until
it becomes their problem.
And we wanna make sure
that's kinda understood.
We're not invincible.
We're humans, and, just understanding
that you may have it good right
now, but what if you don't, or
what if, a family member doesn't?
we wanna make sure that we are doing
what we can, use the voices that we have,
and maybe just the positions that we
have currently right now to help, future
you or, or- a future family member.
hopefully that perspective, I know that's
hard to have that shift, but hopefully,
that perspective can maybe help people
understand, "Oh, yeah. Okay, I do need
to be a part of this conversation."
If people want to continue following
your work, and learn more, and
support the mission of Diversity
in Diabetes, where should they go?
Y'all should go to
diversityindiabetes.org,
or @diversityindiabetes.
It's so easy to find us.
just type in our name.
On our Instagram, we do have
a monthly live that we do.
It's called DID Dialogue.
so what we're doing is we're bringing
different clinicians, people with
diabetes, to just share about
their expertise or just what it's
like to manage, their diabetes.
Yeah.
you can still go on there.
You can chat, ask questions.
and it's nice because then, again,
they're on Instagram, so you can follow
them and, really get connected if, what
they're saying, really resonates with you.
our last month speaker, she is a
dietician, but she was talking about,
diabetes management and the haircare, and
so really talking about the nutrients that
helps with that, and that was amazing.
we do try to have, a monthly
connection, so you can still get some
good information and, good support
that we've been talking about.
Amazing.
Yeah.
Thank you for sharing that.
Kacey, you're a bright light
in the diabetes community, so
thanks again for all that you do.
Yeah.
Thanks so much, Todd.
One of the things that really stood
out to me in this episode was how much
it matters to feel fully seen by the
people helping us manage type 1 diabetes.
Inclusive care isn't an
extra or a nice to have.
It can affect trust,
communication, burnout, and our
ability to care for ourselves.
We talked about cultural humility,
recognizing when a care team may not
be meeting your needs, and giving
yourself permission to ask questions
or even look for a better fit.
We also talked about practical resources,
including the Diversity in Diabetes
Care directory, that can help make that
process feel a little less overwhelming.
So here's something to take with you.
I'd ask you to think about whether you
feel heard, respected, and understood
by your healthcare team, not only as a
person with T1D, but as a whole person.
And if something is missing,
advocating for what you need
doesn't make you difficult.
And even if changing providers
isn't possible right now, one honest
question or conversation can still
be a meaningful place to begin with.
If this conversation helped you think
differently about your own care, maybe
consider sharing it with someone else
who might need to hear it as well.
And until next time,
keep living well with T1D