InTransit: Rock-Climbing with Kovler!

Last Sunday, members of the Kovler Diabetes Center’s InTransit teen advisory panel gathered at the Evanston Athletic Club to go rock climbing and hear about the amazing adventures of rock climber, helicopter skier, and type 1 diabetic Miles Harkleroad.

Each teen had the opportunity to test out their climbing skills on the climbing wall. Many of the teens had previous indoor climbing experience but found the EAC’s wall to be a fun challenge! Some teens even made it all the way to the top.

During breaks from climbing, teens, parents, and Kovler professionals Julia Socke and Amy Hess-Fischl connected with each other to discuss issues affecting teens living with diabetes. It was a great opportunity for teens and parents to meet others facing similar obstacles and for Julia and Amy to get better ideas on how Kovler can provide teens with the best possible diabetes care.

Miles Harkleroad spoke about the challenges he has faced as a diabetic rock climber and helicopter skiier. He has found that there is always a creative solution to managing his diabetes while out on his adventures. For example, Miles stores his insulin in a pant pocket while skiing to keep it from freezing, and while rock climbing he stores his insulin near his water bottle to help keep it from heating up. Miles also showed tons of photos from his travels to the southwest and helmet-cam videos of the (terrifying) slopes he skied in Alaska. Miles experiences showed teens that having diabetes has never prevented him from doing the things he loves to do!

Kovler’s InTransit group meets quarterly to connect and share ideas about how to live well with diabetes as a teenager. The group is dedicated to figuring out ways for teens with diabetes to navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood while living healthy, active lives. Teens, parents, and Kovler professionals exchange in a fun and informal way and help Kovler deliver the best care possible!

Want to be a part of the InTransit teen advisory panel? Shoot Carla Henault an email at chenault@uchicago.edu, and we’ll make sure to send you an invite to upcoming events!

Reflecting on 2012, Looking Forward to 2013!

As we come to the end of the year, the Kovler Diabetes Center at the University of Chicago has much to celebrate.

In 2012, our doctors and nurses treated thousands of individuals with diabetes. Diabetes experts also established or strengthened clinical partnerships throughout the world and provided diabetes management and prevention education at events large and small across Chicagoland and the U.S. You can read more about the amazing work over the last fiscal year in our first-ever Kovler Annual Report.

Based in the heart of one of the world’s great academic institutions, Kovler scientists are doing innovative research informed by a century of scientific discoveries and breakthroughs at University of Chicago. Our genetics team recently identified new genes that cause diabetes. Their work could lead one day to a better understanding of the effects of gene mutations on insulin production and metabolism, and provide pathways to treatments that once seemed unimaginable.

Alongside research, this type of outstanding, personalized patient care is at the heart of Kovler’s mission. From infants through adulthood, we provide the nation’s only fully-integrated pediatric and adult diabetes programs. Our Family Behavioral Health and Wellness Program is forging a national model for family-centered diabetes care. And three doctors in the Kovler Diabetes Center, including director, Dr. Lou Philipson, were recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its ranking of the nation’s top physicians in the field.

This year, we launched critical initiatives including our volunteer initiative Kovler Krew, InTransit Teen Advisory Panel, Peer to Peer program in our Southside Community and held multiple Kovler for Kids events throughout the city. To learn more about the work we do and ways to get involved, visit the Kovler website. You may also contact Peggy Hasenauer, Executive Director, directly via email peggy.hasenauer@uchospitals.edu or by calling 773.834.4789.

This year, as you and your family choose charitable causes, we hope you will consider Kovler Diabetes Center.  Your charitable support is critical to expanding clinical research programs and telemedicine initiatives, as Kovler’s leadership embarks on an expanded model for virtual diabetes care and greater access to diabetes clinical trials – bringing new discoveries and possible cures directly to those with diabetes.  For more ways to learn how to give to Kovler, please visit this website and be sure to note Kovler in the memo section.

From the Kovler Diabetes Center Family to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and happy New Year filled with health and happiness.

Peggy Hasenauer, MS, RN
Executive Director
The University of Chicago Kovler Diabetes Center

2012 World Diabetes Day Round Up

Yesterday was World Diabetes Day, and the Kovler community participated in many exciting ways!

• Dr. Lou Philipson held a press conference in conjunction with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and House Minority Leader Tom Cross to commemorate the first Illinois Diabetes Awareness Day. During the event, speakers used the opportunity to spotlight diabetes warning signs and the importance of preventative care. We are so honored to partner with representatives from so many wonderful organizations and look forward to continue these in the future!

• To reach out to the University of Chicago Medicine community, Kovler educator Julia Socke provided educational programming throughout the day at the Duchossis Center for Advanced Medicine.
• Katrina Sondermann, one of Kovler’s Collegiate Externs, spent World Diabetes Day in India, home to the world’s largest diabetes population. Last year, Dr. Philipson spent time in India speaking about global disparities in access to diabetes care.
• Kovler’s Diabetes All-Star Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program held a meeting to commemorate World Diabetes Day and celebrate the progress that has been made possible through the support that mentors and mentees are providing for one another. Program participant Leona and Kovler Extern Kirsten Gindler both wore blue, the official color of diabetes awareness, to mark the occasion.

For more photos, visit our World Diabetes Day 2012 Gallery:

Kovler & Centered Chef: InTransit Teen Cooking Class

The Kovler InTransit Teen Advisory Board held their fall meeting at Centered Chef, a Chicago based cooking school that shares our concern for healthy eating and our passion for educating the community. Today, we are excited to share a guest blog post from the team at Centered Chef about their experience partnering with Kovler.

In a society where there are over 20 million people living with diabetes, it is imperative that we begin to learn what foods can help prevent diabetes and manage overall wellness. At Centered Chef, we have innovative cooking classes and workshops that educate, entertain and a  healthy lifestyle, by blending culinary arts with nutrition.

Instead of looking at nutrition like a restriction, we focus on the opportunity of eating more healthfully.  In letting go of the foods you can’t have as a philosophy, we focus on the foods you can have and why!

So, when it comes to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, it is important that you eat balanced amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with clean proteins. Since understanding how to eat healthfully can be overwhelming, Centered Chef excels in creating experiences around eating optimally.

“As part of our educational outreach, we were proud to partner with the University of Chicago’s Kovler Diabetes Center, Teens In Transit Advisory Board,” said Centered Chef’s founder and CEO, chef Ryan Hutmacher. “During an incredibly impactful and educational day at Centered Chef, teens as well as, their parents explored the challenges and opportunities that are encountered when living with Type 1 Diabetes.”

In Centered Chef’s innovative culinary studio, chef Melissa Schwenk and adjunct dietitian, Lyndsay Riffe (RD/LDN, CDE), who’s also a Type 1 diabetic, worked with the teens to prepare several diabetic friendly recipes.  In this hands-on cooking class, the teens prepared chicken rosamarino skewers, whole grain quinoa griddle-cakes, grilled green beans and a spinach salad.  As part of the final experience, the teens showcased their meal to both parents and Kovler Diabetes Center staff, proving that healthy food can be simple and delicious!

Family members of the InTransit teens taste the final products!

“It was an amazing to see the teens in action, and in the end, the buffet they created looked amazing!” explained chef Melissa.  “As we look to empower people to make healthy decisions around food, there’s no doubt these teens learned some amazing tools around eating clean.  I look forward to working with the Kovler Diabetes Center in the future, and continuing to support their Teens In Transit Advisory Board!”

Special thanks to Ryan, Melissa, and the entire Centered Chef team! 

Meet Carrie: A Kovler Extern

Hi, I am Carrie, and I am very excited to be working for Kovler as a communications extern! I am currently studying biological sciences and visual arts at the University of Chicago, and I plan on going to medical school after graduation.

My work at Kovler has not only given me a better understanding of diabetes, but has also opened my eyes to the everyday struggles of those who are affected by the disease. Thus, it is very important to me that all patients have equal access to support for their condition as well as key resources for their treatments. Needless to say and perhaps what makes my job at Kovler so enjoyable is that Kovler, too, passionately champions these goals.

Currently, Kovler hopes to extend diabetes resources and care globally to the underserved. In China for example, studies have shown that the prevalence of diabetes in people over the age of 20 has increased to about 9.7 percent in the recent years. Among those who are affected by diabetes, a shocking 60 percent are undiagnosed—this means that about 92.4 million people have the disease, and about 56 million are untreated! These alarming statistics translate to the need for immediate action, and has spurred Kovler’s interest in a potential collaboration with the University of Chicago Center in Beijing to promote wellness events and conferences that would ultimately engage scholars and the Chinese public.

Very soon, I will be meeting with the Office for International Patients on the University campus to discuss the ongoing care for international diabetes patients, and the possibility for Kovler to be involved in an international effort to help diabetes patients.

My work at Kovler will also give me the opportunity to represent diabetes patients through photography. I hope to capture the not only the struggles of those affected by the disease that I hope will advocate access to quality diabetes care, but also their triumphs that I hope will be an inspiration for everyone. Not only has working for Kovler given me the ideal balance between the medical and visual disciplines that I hope to achieve in my future career, working for Kovler has been—and I expect that it will continue to be—very rewarding experience.

Kovler Hosts Conference on Diabetic Nephropathy

We are excited to announce that the Kovler Diabetes Center, in partnership with the ASH Comprehensive Hypertension Center, hosted an August 9^th conference exploring the topic of diabetic nephropathy. This conference brought together some of the brightest scientific minds to discuss issues surrounding kidney function and diabetes. Topics of discussion included nephropathy progression, biomarkers, nomenclature and clinical trials.

The University of Chicago Medicine’s very own Louis Philipson, MD, PhD, FACP, George Bakris, MD, and Michael Eadon, MD presented their work, elucidating the importance of kidney care among populations living with diabetes.

Dr. Louis Philipson

Dr. Philipson, director of the Kovler Diabetes Center and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, centered his portion of the conference around the importance of glycemic control in relation to nephropathy progression. Dr. Eadon’s presentation focused on the assessment of kidney function, the comparison of old and new biomarkers and their abilities to predict nephropathy progression, and decisions regarding renal imaging. Dr. Eadon is a nephrology fellow at the University of Chicago. Finally, Dr. Bakris, director of the ASH Comprehensive Hypertension Center, presented fascinating information on topics including nomenclature of nephropathy staging, surrogate markers of nephropathy progression,  and an interactive case presentation.

Team Members Carrie & Jasmine

Conference-goers spent the entire day with our University’s presenters, arriving at the Knapp Center for Biomedical Research and Discovery at 8:30 AM and departing from the Center at 4:00 PM.

Kovler feels privileged to have been able to play a part in furthering education on the relationship between diabetes and kidney disease.

Announcing the InTransit Teen Advisory Panel

Kovler is proud to announce the creation of its InTransit Teen Advisory Panel!

This summer a group of seven Kovler InTransit teens in grades 7-12 met at the Kovler Diabetes Center for an evening of brainstorming, chatting, and connecting with other Kovler teens, their families, friends, and Kovler professionals.

Peggy Hasenauer, Executive Director of the Kovler Diabetes Center, worked with Dr. Beth Littlejohn, Amy Hess-Fischl, and Julia Socke to coordinate a casual meeting between families interested in sharing their ideas about living with diabetes as a teenager. It is the goal of the panel to identify needs and concerns of teens living with diabetes and their families. Kovler would like to work with teens to provide the best care possible at Kovler. It is our hope that teens and their families can use this group to find fun ways to support one another and to become involved in diabetes care and at Kovler.

At the first meeting, teens and parents discussed their thoughts separately and as a group and it was great to see that connections and common experiences could be discovered among the families present. Families ended their evening with an informative and impressive tour of the Kovler research labs at the Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery. Teens and parents were excited to see where current and cutting-edge diabetes research takes place.

Member of the InTransit Teen Advisory Panel Kelly McGinnis, shares her thoughts on Kovler and on the newly formed panel:

Kelly McGinnis

I think that the teen advisory panel is a really great idea that has a lot of potential!  Seeing all that the Kovler Diabetes Center is doing to help treat type 1 diabetes makes me very excited and hopeful.  I am so glad to be a part of something that is really invested in dealing with this chronic disease.  No other hospital or doctor around is doing anything like the Kovler Diabetes Center.  The InTransit program is the reason I switched doctors and came to the University of Chicago when I was 15.  My parents and I knew that we would need a team and a program that could deal with teenage obstacles and the challenge of moving from a child to an independent adult.

The teen group and the staff involved with the panel all seem very interested in making a difference and giving input on how to make the lives of teenagers with diabetes easier and more manageable.  The small group atmosphere made it easy to share opinions and personal stories.  Another great thing about the group is the range of ages involved because it allows for a wide range of concerns to be addressed, from high school activities to going away to college.  I think we are all excited to see what the panel can accomplish in terms of raising awareness and helping others with diabetes like us.  We are all moving to different phases of our lives and it is helpful having a group who understands the life of a person with type 1 diabetes.

The InTransit Teen Advisory Panel will meet multiple times throughout the year and continue to form relationships with each other and with Kovler. We are truly looking forward to working with the Teen Advisory Panel this year!

If you would like information about becoming involved with the Teen Advisory Panel, please contact Peggy Hasenauer at peggy.hasenauer@uchospitals.edu.

Introducing Emily: a Kovler Summer Intern

Hello, my name is Emily and I have been working here at Kovler for a little over a month and a half now.  Each day when I walk into work, I am astonished at how awesome this institution is and cannot believe I am able to work here.  Coming into this internship, I was very nervous about the types of things I would be doing and the people I was going to be working with.  Not having diabetes myself and with only a small amount of experience, I was nervous yet excited to begin.

Being a Nursing major my understanding of diabetes has mostly come from my textbooks, and the clinicals I have completed.  This pasted spring I worked on a Cardiac-Pulmonary floor and received the opportunity to care for numerous patients with diabetes.  I was able to assist them in managing their blood glucose levels within the hospital in addition to promoting healthy lifestyles once these patients were discharged.  With what felt like an abundance of knowledge I decided to take the opportunity to come work for Kovler.  But little did I know that I would become even more acquainted with diabetes.

Throughout my time here, I have found a deeper respect for patients with diabetes and the care that these patients need.  I also have so much admiration for the doctors working within Kovler, who have made ground-breaking discoveries through their research.  It’s so incredible and interesting!  Lastly, working with the members of Kovler has shed a new light on proving care.  The people here at the Kovler Diabetes Center are so passionate about what they do and it is incredible to see how they can make a difference for each individual they care for, educate, and support.  I hope to do the same in my own career.

While working close with these members, especially Peggy Hasenauer, I have helped to launch two substantial programs for Kovler this summer: Kovler Krew and the Diabetes All-Star Peer-to-Peer Program.  Both new projects have made great progress so far and we are excited to see where they are headed!

Kovler Krew, a volunteer program, provides members of the community a chance to offer their time, support, and knowledge to assist the Kovler Diabetes Center in expanding its community presence, and helping educate and support patients all throughout Chicago.  Volunteers play a large role in the Kovler team and we are very thankful for those that choose to do so.

The second program, Diabetes All-Star Peer-to-Peer Program is a peer-to-peer mentoring program for Kovler patients from the south side of Chicago who have type 2-diabetes. We believe that through this mentorship our patients, who have struggled in the past, will achieve confidence and stability in managing their diabetes and continue to live healthy lifestyles.

Working with these volunteers and patients, I hope to strengthen the Kovler Team and to build the Kovler connection throughout the Chicago-land area. It has been great seeing the progression of these programs so far, and I am eager to see what else the rest of the summer has to offer.

Guest Blog: Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study

I am the Program Coordinator for the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, a multi-center study which has been ongoing since February 1996.  We ended recruitment in February, 1999.  There are two staff members working on the DPPOS here – myself and Rina DeSandre.  We have worked together since the study’s inception!

Our study is looking at how to prevent diabetes in people at high risk.  It was a very stringent screening process, but finally after three years we finished recruitment and randomized 153 people.  There are three treatment groups now.  One is using the medication metformin, which is currently indicated for treatment of diabetes, one group is the placebo and the other group is intensive lifestyle.  Those in the intensive lifestyle group have a goal to lose 7% of their weight and do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like a brisk walk) each week.

Since our study has been going on so long, we actually have some results initially published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2001.  It was found that lifestyle was almost twice as effective (a 58% reduction in risk) at preventing diabetes as taking metformin for prevention. However, the metformin did have a 31% reduction in risk of getting diabetes.

Our participants are quite loyal – with a greater than 90% retention rate.  They see us twice a year now.  We also have classes on a quarterly basis and all are invited and can bring a guest as well.  There are various topics ranging from stress reduction to resistance training to eating a Mediterranean based diet.

We are planning on continuing the study until 2014.  However, we are also in the process of planning for another extension.  We still have many questions to be answered and our participants are also eager to continue. (What a great job I have!)

Thank you,

Margie Matulik
Program Coordinator,  DPPOS

Type 1 
Diabetes Lounge Sponsored by Kovler

On April 28, more than 65 guests and 10 vendors attended the Type 1 
Diabetes Lounge educational luncheon on “Type 1 Diabetes: Innovation in Care and Research” at the Glenview Golf Club. This event is a first of its kind in the North Shore of Chicago targeting adults living with Type 1 diabetes and providing critical education and support on managing diabetes throughout the lifespan.

This event was very well received by the vendors and attendees alike.  Many commented how there is not education like this in the North Shore that specifically targets Type 1 diabetes. Additionally, the intimate setting to hear Amy and Lou speak was a main draw. Kovler Diabetes Center sponsored the event, which included a vendor showcase and presentations by Kovler team members, Lou Philipson, MD, PhD, and Amy
 Hess-Fischl, MS, RD, LDN, BC-ADM, CDE.  Dr. Philipson presented the “Frontiers in Diabetes Research”, and Amy spoke to attendees on diabetes management as well as providing the seminar “Beyond Carb Counting: Advanced Tips & Tools.”