Wearable Technology Is Transforming Diabetes Care in Indian Country

Your elders are already wearing CGMs — and the numbers prove it works.

Carolyn Fletcher Is Meeting Our Relatives Where They Are

Carolyn Fletcher, BSN, RN, CDCES, is a Diabetes Nurse Educator at Clinton Indian Health Center. She also served seven years as a U.S. Army medic. In January 2022, she launched the Clinton IHS Diabetes Clinic. Then, on April 9, 2026, she presented her results at the SPTHB Tribal Public Health Conference. One Native patient entered her clinic with a blood sugar average of 260 mg/dL. That is well above the optimal range of 70–180 mg/dL. Through FreeStyle Libre CGM monitoring and culturally competent nutrition education, that same patient now averages 170 mg/dL.

Health Literacy Is the Real Medicine

A standard A1C only captures a 3-month blood sugar average. So it cannot show what happens at 3 AM or after a community feed. CGMs, however, deliver 24-hour glucose trend data in real time. As a result, Native practitioners get a much fuller picture of patient health. For example, one Native female elder in her 70s had survived a stroke. She kept three handwritten tracking notebooks. Because of Fletcher’s support, she brought her A1C down to 6.1. In fact, 80-plus-year-old patients are now walking into IHS lobbies showing their AGP reports on their cell phones!

Culturally Tailored, Data-Driven Care for Indigenous Communities

Fletcher also honors culture awareness at every step. For instance, she works with patients who choose to wear CGMs during ceremonial fasting. She additionally incorporates whole traditional foods and the My Plate method to make portion guidance meaningful. Furthermore, elder peer mentorship anchors her program in Indigenous values. Patients who have lived the success then share their stories in class, creating powerful health literacy for all of Indian Country.

Ellsworth Staffs the Facilities Making This Possible

Ellsworth is a 100% Navajo-owned, ISBEE-certified Native owned small business. Therefore, connecting culturally competent clinicians with IHS facilities and tribal health programs is our core mission. The work Fletcher is doing at Clinton IHS is exactly why Ellsworth exists. If your facility needs dedicated medical staffing built for native health, contact Ellsworth today — Our Relatives are counting on it.