Baptist Health-Fort Smith Dietitian Earns Advanced Diabetes Care Certification

FORT SMITH, Ark. –  Baptist Health is proud to recognize Gena Pierce, MS, RD/LD, a registered dietitian at the Baptist Health Nutrition Counseling Center-Fort Smith, for earning her Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) credential.

A CDCES is a health care professional with specialized training in diabetes care and education, focused on helping patients better manage their condition and improve long-term health outcomes. In this role, Pierce provides education on blood sugar monitoring, medications, insulin use and glucose monitoring, while also guiding patients through sustainable lifestyle changes related to nutrition, physical activity and overall wellness.

Pierce works with a wide range of patients, including individuals newly diagnosed with diabetes, those experiencing changes in treatment plans, patients managing insulin or glucose monitoring, individuals with prediabetes or at risk for diabetes, children and adolescents with juvenile diabetes, and patients facing diabetes-related complications.

Pierce has been a dietitian in Fort Smith for 23 years. She holds a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Oklahoma and offers extensive experience in patient-centered nutrition care.

As an outpatient dietitian, Pierce offers individualized nutrition counseling for diabetes management, weight management, heart-healthy eating, gastrointestinal conditions and other chronic health concerns. Her approach emphasizes practical, personalized strategies that empower patients to make informed choices and build lasting habits.

The nutrition counseling center is located inside Baptist Health-Fort Smith at 1001 Towson Ave.. To learn more or schedule an appointment, call (479) 441-4183.

About Baptist Health

For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 300 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 75 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 12,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. Baptist Health is certified as a Great Place to Work and is honored by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.