Below is the speaker lineup for the November 2025 Diabetes Wellness Expo to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Bayhealth Blue Hen Conference Center in Dover, DE.
Keynote Speaker
Nancy Gugerty, MS, RD, RN, CDCES | Nemours
Nancy Gugerty is an Endocrine Specialty Nurse at Nemours Children’s Health. She holds a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Science from Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of Maryland.
Nancy has worked in diabetes for over 25 years. During the 15 years she spent in the diabetes industry, Nancy helped launch innovative diabetes technologies in Australia, South Africa, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. She is a Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Education and Care Specialist dedicated to optimizing diabetes care for children and their families.
Session Title: Grief, Mourning, Change and a Diagnosis of Diabetes
Session Time: 12:30 PM
Session Location: Bayhealth Blue Hen Conference Center
Full Speaker Lineup
Linda Ciavarelli, DPM | HouseCall VR
Dr. Ciavarelli is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) and ABMSP board-certified specialist in Primary Podiatric Care. With over 20 years of clinical experience ranging from community care in private practice to facility-based care, she has honed her expertise in preventative, orthopedic, and dermatologic podiatric medicine. In addition to her clinical background, Dr. Ciavarelli is the co-founder of HouseCall VR, an innovative startup dedicated to creating virtual reality patient education. HouseCall VR aims to improve health literacy and outcomes using immersive technology. Dr. Ciavarelli is a sought-after speaker, having presented at numerous state, national, and global conferences, scientific meetings, and symposia on topics such as Patient Education Using Immersive Technology, Immersive Technology in Healthcare, and Developing Impact-Driven Innovation in XR. Dr. Ciavarelli is committed to the medical profession, her patients, and the greater community. She has the honor to serve her professional and local community through various director and leadership positions in government and non-profit sectors.
Session Title: Diabetes Goes High Tech: VR, Wearables and AI You Can Use Today
Session Time: 9:30 AM & 10:45 AM
Session Location: Boardroom
Brian Foster, DHSc, MSE, CDCES, CCRP, ACSM-CEP
Brian F. Foster is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and Certified Cardiac Rehabilitation Professional. He holds a Master of Science in Education from the University of Kansas and a Doctor of Health Science degree from California University of Pennsylvania. With more than 25 years of experience in diabetes care, Brian has held roles across industry, patient care, and the non-profit sector. His work focuses on advancing diabetes education, improving patient outcomes, and integrating clinical insights with innovative solutions for diabetes management. He has Type 1 diabetes and is one of three people in his family with diabetes; his mother has Type 2, and his son has Type 1.
Session Title: Exercise is Medicine; Additional Exercises
Session Time: 1:30 PM
Session Location: Conference Room
Freda Patterson, PhD | University of Delaware
Dr. Freda Patterson (‘Freddie’) is a Professor of Health Behavior Science, and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Health Research Program in the college of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on sleep and circadian health as modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic disease, with emphasis on identifying novel approaches to improve sleep and circadian health as a strategy to preventing disease progression and improving response to other behavioral interventions, such as those targeting smoking cessation, physical inactivity and diet.
Session Title: Resetting Your Body Clock: Sleep Health and Meal Timing as Primary Prevention Tools for Metabolic Health
Session Time: 9:30 AM & 10:45 AM
Session Location: Conference Room
John Patton | National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
John Patton is a strategic business development leader with over 20 years of experience spanning public health, media, marketing, politics, and entrepreneurship. He has generated more than $25 million in revenue through innovative partnerships and growth strategies. For the past decade, he has focused on chronic disease prevention—founding the Health and Lifestyle Training (HALT) program, co-founding the ProVention Health Foundation, and serving on the board of the Population Health Foundation. John also launched Street Charity, a fintech solution to feed the hungry, and is the author of Brainless Health, which inspires audiences to improve wellness through simple daily habits. Earlier in his career, he built a communications and manufacturing firm that achieved $10 million in consumer product sales and national distribution. An Eagle Scout and cum laude graduate of the University of Delaware, John has completed executive leadership programs at Wharton, Harvard, and the Jack Welch Management Institute. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and five children.
Session Title: Diabetes Goes High Tech: VR, Wearables and AI You Can Use Today
Session Time: 9:30 AM & 10:45 AM
Session Location: Boardroom
Bet Wong, MSN, RN, CNORe | Nurses & Neighbors Collaborative
Bet Key Wong, MSN, RN, CNORe, is a retired operating room nurse with more than 40 years of healthcare experience. She co-founded Nurses & Neighbors Collaborative in 2022 and created the Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol™, a community prevention initiative to improve health through a mobility lens. Bet began her career as a medicinal chemist at DuPont before transitioning into clinical research, education, and nursing roles, including clinical educator for perioperative services at Bayhealth Medical Center and staff/charge nurse at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Massachusetts. She serves on the Board of Directors of La Red Health Center. Bet holds degrees from Brown University (BS Chemistry), University of Rochester (MS Chemistry), and Worcester State University (MS Nursing).
Session Title: CPR for Foot Care: Community-Based Prevention for Delaware Neighborhoods
Session Time: 1:30 PM
Session Location: Boardroom