Care Team Spotlight: Physycian Assistant Jamee Bresee

Inpatient Blood Glucose Management at UMass Memorial Hospitals

Jamee Bresee joined the Inpatient Blood Glucose Management Service team in 2024. She has been a Physician Assistant at UMass Memorial Medical Center since 2019, where her work in internal medicine gave her a close look at the serious and often complex health complications experienced by people living with diabetes. That experience led her to pursue a more specialized role in diabetes care.

From Research to Patient Care

Before becoming a Physician Assistant, Jamee earned her PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder and worked as a Senior Scientist at Nova Biomedical. She felt drawn to a more direct connection with patients and graduated from the Physician Assistant program at Johnson & Wales University. Working directly with patients, learning what matters most to them, and helping them manage challenges has become one of the most fulfilling parts of her job.

Inpatient Blood Glucose Management Service

The Inpatient Blood Glucose Management Service helps providers care for people with diabetes who are admitted to either UMass Memorial Medical Center (University campus) or UMass Memorial hospital (Belmont Street). People may be hospitalized for many different reasons, including a new diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), severe hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, or other complex medical issues. Jamee’s role includes direct patient care, diabetes medication management, patient and family education, and discharge planning. She works closely with hospital providers to help optimize blood glucose management and improve outcomes while patients are in the hospital. A major part of her work is helping patients understand their diabetes without overwhelming them. She focuses on practical education that supports a safer and more confident transition home.

Helping Patients Understand Their Diabetes

For Jamee, one of the most rewarding parts of her role is helping patients better understand their diagnosis and feel more empowered to manage it.  A man who was hospitalized with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes had not been taking medications because of financial and insurance barriers. During his hospital stay, he shared that he felt anxious at night and frustrated by how irritable he had been with staff, even though he was grateful for their care. After reviewing his blood sugar patterns, Jamee noticed that his overnight blood sugars were in a normal range, while his daytime levels were elevated. His body had become accustomed to high average blood sugars, so normal overnight levels felt like low blood sugar to him. By learning more about symptoms of hypoglycemia and how his body was responding, he was able to be kinder to himself and make healthier overnight snacking choices. The experience helped him understand that his behavior was not simply a lack of effort.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

Hospitalization can be an overwhelming time to learn about diabetes, especially for patients who are newly diagnosed or dealing with serious complications. Jamee helps patients focus on the information they need most in the moment, including medication changes, insulin use, blood glucose monitoring, and what to expect after discharge. Her goal is to help patients and families feel supported and prepared, while also recognizing that diabetes management is a long-term process that continues after they leave the hospital.

Improving Diabetes Care in the Hospital

One of the challenges the Inpatient Blood Glucose Management Service team address is the coordination of blood glucose checks, insulin administration, and meal delivery. When those pieces are not properly timed, patients may be at greater risk for blood glucose levels that are too high or too low. The team has been working to educate UMass Memorial hospital staff about the importance of this coordination to improve diabetes inpatient care.

Looking Ahead

Jamee finds her work with the Inpatient Blood Glucose Management Service deeply rewarding and remains grateful that she made the transition from research to direct patient care. Her background as a scientist continues to shape how she thinks about diabetes care. She remains interested in research that could help advance care and improve outcomes for people living with diabetes.