Complete Care “We provide an outstanding service to children with diabetes,” says Dr. Tamara Hannon, Director of Riley Hospital’s Clinical Pediatric Diabetes program. Newly diagnosed diabetics are admitted for a two day comprehensive program where a special team helps ease patients’ stress and fear. Certified diabetes nurse educators teach basics: diabetes facts, care of the diabetic, checking blood sugar, giving insulin, what to do if blood sugar is high or low, if you’re sick and can’t eat, having surgery and exercising. The child’s caretaker practices necessary skills: checking blood sugars, administering insulin shots and treating complications that can happen with insulin. Diabetes dieticians teach healthy diets, how to count carbs and how to calculate the amount of insulin they need based on activity and diet. Medical social workers help families navigate medical payments on copious paperwork, enrollment in diabetic insurance plans; individual and family counseling and obtaining medications. If families have other limitations, social workers do their best to help. Nurse educators and social workers also help educate school nurses to ensure special accommodations for the diabetic. Donor support is crucial to every aspect of Riley’s Pediatric Diabetes program.

Finding a Cure Recruited in 2008 to build and direct the diabetes research program, Dr. Raghu Mirmira has recruited five principal investiga-tors and thirty additional staff, acquired space and secured program funding. Under his leadership, the mission crystallized—engage in basic research to cure diabetes and develop ideas for clinical studies. “We look at drugs to help protect a diabetic’s insulin-producing cells from attacks by the immune system and seek ways to get insulin-producing cells to regenerate so diabetics can produce more of their own insulin,” says Mirmira. He and his work are well-known internationally. Hosting the 2010 annual meeting of the Midwest Islet Club drew investigators from across the nation and put Riley’s program on the map. PBS’s program “Indiana Expeditions” featured Riley’s research. “The challenge,” says Mirmira, “is seizing opportunities as they present themselves and securing funding sooner than expected.” Grants come from Lilly Endowment, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation; Riley Children’s Foundation and NIH. “Few other institutions in the country are doing basic diabetes research for children,” he adds. “In the end, it’s the mission of helping children, and we’ll go wherever it takes us to achieve that.”

Dr. Mirmira is currently the Eli Lilly & Co. Chair in Pediatric

Diabetes and Director of the Pediatric Diabetes Research

Group at Indiana University in Indianapolis

n Riley’s clinical pediatric diabetes program provides care for over 1,800 diabetic children in Indiana and neighboring states.

n Over 100 patients are seen each week in clinics at Riley Outpatient Centers across the state.

n While patients’ ages range, peak manifestation of diabetes is age 2-5, with another peak in early adolescence. In 2010, Riley saw 2,100 diabetic patients, of which 1,350 were age 10 or older.

n In the last 12 years, Riley’s pediatric diabetes team expanded from 4 to 12 endocrinologists, driven by increases in type-2 diabetes. Riley now holds 4 type-2 clinics per month on weight management support and different medications.

n While type-1 is still more prevalent, doctors believe that the rise in type-2 diabetes among 10 to 18 year olds is due to the epidemic

of childhood obesity; children are being diagnosed with diseases that were once found only in adults.

n To help counter childhood obesity, Riley’s “POWER Clinic” focuses on preventive measures. “Although it’s such an ingrained societal problem, we must work to prevent childhood obesity,” says pediatric

endocrinologist Dr. Tamara Hannon.

Pediatric Diabetes

Did you know ? A Team Effort Alerted by their son Harry’s rapid weight loss and excessive urination, Bob and Elizabeth Crider suspected type-1 diabetes. Riley Hospital confirmed the diagnosis, and during an intensive two days, Harry received initial treatment and everyone learned how to give and receive shots, monitor blood sugar and count carbs. There’s much to learn about diet, nutrition; how insulin works, the effects of food and physical activity and the inter-actions of insulin and sugar. Someone must monitor the child’s blood sugar all the time. “At age 12, a kid can’t always be thinking about this, we do that for him, as his parents,” says Bob. Harry participates in year-round sports, including baseball, football and basketball. This summer, attended Diabetes Camp. All

his Riley physicians and treatment team members will be there, provid-ing 24-hour care. Kids don’t have to be in charge of their own treatment; they can just focus on having a great experience. “It will be good for him to get away without us,” Bob adds. Impressed with the people doing great work at Riley, the Criders have made Riley Children’s Foundation a focus of their philanthropy. “We want to make it clear how much we really like everyone (there),” Bob emphasizes. “We’ve had the good and the bad, and the good is Riley.”

We’ve had the good and the bad, and the good is Riley.” - Bob Crider

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