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Healing and HopeA Newsletter of the Diabetes Institutes FoundationJuly 2006A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Reader, We’re well into summer and into the hurricane season. Disaster preparedness takes on new meaning after the national catastrophe Katrina brought last year. We asked our expert dietitian, Phyllis Woodson, to develop an emergency preparedness checklist for people with diabetes. You will want to print off her article and keep it nearby so that you can be prepared to protect your health in case of emergency. Summer also means new staff members arrive at the Institutes. This month we introduce Matt Bourcier, who was trained at Eastern Virginia Medical School in the Physician Assistants program and brings new ideas to diabetes research. On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for your commitment and support to the fight against diabetes. I will be leaving the Diabetes Institutes Foundation at the end of July after ten wonderfully challenging years. In the past decade, I have seen many new developments in medical research and patient care and have had the opportunity to get to know and work with so many incredible people whose commitment to the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes has made a real difference in present and the future of diabetes. Best, FOUNDATION NEWS
An Evening of Appreciation DIF board members and SDI staff enjoyed themselves at our annual Appreciation Dinner on June 21st. SDI directors and Foundation Director Anna Goldenberg all provided updates as well as expressing appreciation for staff and board members. Beth Bilderback, Special Events Coordinator and Development Associate presented a special Volunteer Service Award to Al and Annette Craft, who help make the Cookout for the Cure a success year after year. DIF Continues to Spread Awareness at Local Health Fairs Requests for blood sugar screenings at health fairs continue to roll in and the Foundation has been more than happy to oblige. On May 31st, the downtown YMCA asked us to do screenings at its first Seniors Health Day and on June 13th we had a table at a mini health fair at the Army Corps of Engineers, which was part of Health and Safety Week. Many thanks to our EVMS medical (and medical masters) students for their continued volunteer help and to Abbott Laboratories for contributing screening supplies. Ready, Set, Mazilli This year's Lee Mazzilli Celebrity Golf Tournament, on Monday, July 31, will be held at the Seawane Club on Hewlitt Harbor, Long Island. For more information, call Gerry Lipeles at 212-849-1388. Underwriting opportunities are available. MEDICAL NEWS
Meet SDI's Newest Staff Member, Matt Bourcier Building a better mousetrap doesn't always mean spending more money. Just ask SDI's Physician's Assistant Matt Bourcier, whose case control study on a new way to test for diabetic peripheral neuropathy relied on the simplest of materials - fishing line. Screening for loss of sensation is vital to people with diabetes, who are 15 to 40 times more likely to suffer from amputations due to nerve damage. One way to measure sensitivity and possible foot ulceration is to measure the buckling force of a monofilament when pressed against a person's foot. The 10 g is the standard thickness, but Matt and his team decided to explore the possibilities of a finer 1 g, which turned out to be 10% more sensitive. Matt, an avid freshwater fisherman, made the mental leap from medical monofilament to the kind found in sporting goods stores while still a student in the EVMS Master of Physician's Assistant program. The results of this unique study, "Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: How reliable is a homemade 1-g monofilament for screening?" were published in the June issue of the Journal of Family Practice. 871 subjects, 292 who had been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, participated in the study, filling out detailed questionnaires and then testing differing brands and lengths of line. The most consistent - and coincidentally, the least expensive - was South Bend brand 25-lb, high-knot strength. Because it is so cheap and readily available, patients can easily use this new test at home to examine their own feet. A native of Richmond, Matt has been in Hampton Roads since 1997, but only officially on board at the Institutes since May 30th of this year. He first met Dr. Vinik in late 1999, when he contacted him to discuss possibilities for research projects. The conversation "began with ACE inhibitors, and led to fishing line, of all things" Matt recalls. "I knew I wanted to focus on diabetes, and Dr. Vinik described some of the tests he'd been doing using monofilament." Along with Dr. Vinik, Matt collaborated on various parts of the project with Jagdeesh Ullal, MD, MS; Henri K. Parson, PhD; Charlotte B. Dublin, BS; Crystal A. G. Witherspoon, MPH and Sheila A. Ward, PhD. Along with fishing (for the record, he uses monofilament P-Line), Matt is also passionate about both patient care and research. His most recent position, running a clinic in South Norfolk that catered to shipyard workers, left him with a profound respect for how difficult and dangerous shipyard work can be. But when he learned that SDI was hiring, he jumped at the chance. Dr. Vinik is enthusiastic about the decision to hire Physician's Assistants, anticipating that this will "hopefully lead to expansion for EVMS graduates of the Institutes who show a bent for inquiry." After the day to day of urgent care, Matt especially enjoys now being able to expand his knowledge in so many different directions. "I love the variety, "he says. "Not just being part of so many fascinating research projects, but also being able to help so many different types of patients. My knowledge is constantly expanding. I feel that I'll never stop learning - and that is a very good feeling." NUTRITION TOPICS
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Are You Ready? Phyllis Woodson, MS, RD, CDE, Clinical Dietitian Remember, a disaster (flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, snowstorm or loss of electricity) can occur at any time. Make sure to be prepared, whether you are at home, work, or in transit. The following suggestions are recommended for individuals with diabetes (however, general suggestions would apply to any health problem): It is recommended to have enough food on hand for 7 days and enough medication/supplies for 2 weeks. Replace stored food items every year. Keep the most important supplies with you at all times in anticipation of an emergency. In a September 9, 2005 press release, the American Diabetes Association identified the following critical areas of concern during a disaster: 1. Self-identification as having diabetes Supplies to Have On Hand: Flashlights, cell phone and batteries, battery- operated radio, candles, first-aid kit, waterproof matches, watch, whistle/noisemaker for search and rescue. Personal hygiene items. An extra pair of walking shoes, dry socks, eye glasses. Eating utensils, disposable plates and cups, manual can opener. Food 1. Try to maintain regular times of eating, drinking fluids and taking medications. Medications/Medical Supplies: Always remember to wear your medical i.d. Keep at least a 2 week supply of diabetes medications and supplies, eg glucose meter, lancets, glucose strips, ketone strips, bio-hazard container for used lancets/strips/needles, alcohol swabs, tissues, blood glucose record book, glucagon emergency kit, etc. Insulin will keep at room temperature (59-86 degrees F, but in hot weather, insulin needs to be kept cool (but not freezing). You can place the insulin in water that has been cooled with ice, but not touching the ice. Most insulins will keep for no more than 28-30 days at room temperature and will last until the expiration date if unopened and refrigerated. If you are on the insulin pump, keep supplies you will need, including a syringe, readily available. Other supplies: Glucose tablets An insulated container for diabetes supplies as needed. Medication for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. A list of all medications, your medical history, emergency contact phone numbers including your physician and pharmacist. Make sure you have adequate prescriptions as needed. Hand sanitizer. Other: Small amount of cash. Important paper, keys, etc, you know what you need. References: American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Forecast, February 2006 American Dietetic Association, ADA Times, December 2005 Becton-Dickinson, Planning Your Diabetes Care During Disaster Conditions, 2002 Practical Diabetology, September 2005. Bon Appetit! Yours in good health, |
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