Executive Leadership & Expert Bios

Betsy Rodríguez

Senior Deputy Director, National Diabetes Education Program
Division of Diabetes Translation, NCCDPHP

Betsy Rodríguez serves as senior deputy director of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) in the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT). She works as a bicultural specialist in social marketing strategies and the development of media products for the Hispanic/Latino population. She also works with the entertainment industry, international diabetes organizations and minority populations. She joined CDC in 2001.

Ms. Rodríguez is a nurse who specializes in chronic and critical care, and is a certified diabetes educator. She has worked with the International Diabetes Federation in the Central and South America Region (SACA) since 1990, coordinating diabetes health education programs and the SACA strategic plan.

She taught in the bachelor's and master's nursing degree programs at Pontifical Catholic University and Inter American University in Puerto Rico. Ms. Rodriguez has written several articles on diabetes care delivery in the Puerto Rico Health system.

In 1991, she founded the Programa Educativo de Salud Integral, Inc. (PESI), a health education and prevention program with a multidisciplinary approach. Nurses, dietitians, health educators, diabetes educators, community health workers and social workers provide the services. The program covers central and southeastern Puerto Rico with a diverse portfolio of health education and promotion services targeted to 450,000 insurers and 670 health care providers.