MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Charles D. Ponte, Pharm.D., professor in the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy 
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and the WVU School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, was recognized for his commitment to helping educate healthcare professionals and patients about diabetes and diabetes management by being selected as a fellow of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE).
The AADE Fellows Program recognizes “diabetes educator leaders who have made outstanding contributions to diabetes education and care through clinical practice, research, education or health policy, including the development and implementation of mentorship programs for diabetes educators.”
Dr. Ponte is one of nine pharmacists who have been selected to receive AADE fellow status since the program was established in 2008.
“It is an honor to have been selected as a fellow and humbling to be counted among some very special people in the world of diabetes education,” Ponte said. “By educating peer healthcare professionals about diabetes, we, in turn, educate our patients about diabetes care and management. I am also fortunate that in my position as a clinical pharmacist, I can provide direct patient care and help patients monitor, manage and take an active part in their healthcare.”
A limited number of fellows are selected to the AADE program each year, with six healthcare professionals being chosen for 2013. Fellows must have at least five years of continuous AADE membership and have 10 years of experience in diabetes education as an educator, researcher or clinician.
Ponte is a fellow of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
He has authored numerous articles in a wide variety of professional journals and is an active lecturer. He currently serves on the editorial advisory boards of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, the APhA DrugInfo Line, the Diabetes Educator and Pharmacotherapy. He completed a five-year term as a member of the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) Expert Committee on Endocrinology. In 2010, Ponte was appointed to the USP Medicare Model Guidelines Expert Panel.
Ponte has been a faculty member at the WVU Health Sciences Center for 32 years. In addition to clinical work, his scholarly interests include diabetes education and management, gynecologic infections and pain management.
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