Mary Conneely joined Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI) in 2007. Working as a bilingual (Spanish/English) Diabetes Educator Mary provides weekly workshops and individual consults serving the Latino population to prevent and treat diabetes and pre-diabetes as part of the Santa Barbara Diabetes Initiative (SBDI). She also provides nutritional assistance and guidance on insulin usage to the gestational diabetes patients at the Santa Barbara County Health Clinic.
Through Mary’s efforts SBDI now includes a stress management component. As a certified Multicultural Wellness Educator, Mary brings a unique skill to the program by offering stress management therapies to the diabetes population while utilizing techniques based on the Capacitar Program for releasing traumatic stress and restoring balance. In addition, Mary is spearheading the joint cooperation between SBDI and the Braille Institute, as both organizations labor to improve the health and wellness of the visually impaired population of Santa Barbara County. SBDI patients are now participating in adult educational program that include Yoga, Culinary, Computer and Pottery classes. Likewise, Mary provides translations from English to Spanish for clinical trial studies presented by SDRI to the Cottage Institutional Review Board (IRB) for their approval as well as other required educational material for diabetes projects.
Previously she worked as an assistant Diabetes Coordinator at American Indian Health & Services in Santa Barbara. Mary also has performed the duties of the specialized educator and coordinator for National Association for visually Handicapped in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she conducted courses and provided equipment for the visually impaired patients.
Mary worked internationally for fifteen years in Bolivia, serving the U.S. Peace Corps in the important role of Executive Administrator and Assistant to the Country Director. Mary labored extensively in Bolivia, South America with international grass roots based, gender- orientated, development projects with not-for-profit organizations. In 1979, she was the founder of CEMUR, (Center for Rural Women), a local organization, NGO, that continues to provide literacy programs, management training, and sustainable rural small business development for underprivileged Bolivian women. Through Mary’s work and influence, SBDI conducted an International diabetes prevention and educational seminar for rural women of CEMUR in the jungle communities of Eastern Bolivia.
Due to the vast experience in her native Bolivia working with the underserved populations, Mary, now as the SDRI diabetes educator can identify with and address the struggles and needs of health education that the Latino population faces to manage and improve their diabetes and pre-diabetes.