CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM SLATED FOR MARCH 14, 2008

Jackson– With a steadily increasing number of Mississippians developing diabetes, the necessity of a steadily increasing number of health-care professionals equipped with the most up-to-date tools to help these Mississippians also has grown. 

“In a state with nearly 350,000 people living with diabetes– diagnosed and undiagnosed– and with no signs of the diabetes epidemic slowing down, I cannot even begin to describe the importance of our medical professionals knowing about the latest innovations in diabetes care,” said Mary Fortune, Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) executive vice president.

“Diabetes treatment options, advances in research, technological breakthroughs and contemporary diabetes issues change so frequently that our health-care providers absolutely must remain educated on these subjects, especially when such a large percentage of our state’s population is affected.”

For these reasons, the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi is extending an invitation to all physicians and health-care professionals to attend the annual Continuing Medical Education symposium on March 14 at the Country Club of Jackson from 7:30 to 2:50.

“When our diabetes Super Conference in January sold out and people lined the halls in anticipation of seeing former U.S. surgeon general, Rear Admiral Kenneth Moritsugu, MD, MPH and former Miss America Nicole Johnson, we reaffirmed the need for quality diabetes education, by once again offering this exceptional program,” Fortune said. “We expect nothing short of another packed house at the upcoming CME symposium. It’s going to be another extraordinary opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from some of the nation’s leading medical experts in diabetes,” Fortune said.

The one-day CME program is designed for physicians, internists, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, Certified Diabetes Educators, students, clinicians and other health-care providers with an interest in diabetes. The program is intended to provide an overview of the recent developments in diabetes management and prevention.   Discussions will focus on glycemic variability and new approaches to data interpretation; incretin therapeutics and their role in diabetes management; ethnic diversity and disparities in diabetes; insulin therapy and its role in the early intervention of Type 2 diabetes; the challenges associated with mapping new horizons in diabetes care; and the translation of nutritional recommendations into practice.

Sponsored by the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM), Animas– a Johnson & Johnson Co., Mississippi State Department of Health, Central Mississippi Medical Center and Baptist Health Systems– the symposium will feature several leading diabetes experts.

Among the presenters areDr. Ann Albright of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. William Cefalu of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University System (LSU);Dr. Kim Kelly of LifeScan– a leading maker of blood-glucose monitoring systems; Paul Madden of the Animas Corporation; Dr. Michael O’Dell of University of Mississippi Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program at North Mississippi Medical Center; and Dr.Gretchen Piatt of the Diabetes Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ann Albright, PhD, RD, is the director of the Division of Diabetes Translation for the CDC. Albright is recognized nationally for her expertise in the areas of diabetes healthcare delivery; nutrition and exercise; and public health practice to prevent and control diabetes.  Her current work includes a focus on community and behavioral supports for the prevention and management of diabetes; translation of science into practice; and the collection and analysis of diabetes surveillance data to monitor and guide public health activities.  She will be presenting two talks– one on putting diabetes nutrition recommendations into practice and another on the CDC’s response to ethnic diversity and disparities in diabetes.

 Another nationally known figure in diabetes education and research is Dr. William Cefalu, professor and chief of the Division of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU.  Cefalu has been widely published in journals and books. He serves as a reviewer for many journals and is currently an associate editor of Diabetes.  Cefalu’s research is active at both the clinical and basic levels.  At the clinical level, he is interested in clinical interventions to improve the metabolic state of individuals with insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.  On a basic level, he is interested in cellular mechanisms for insulin resistance.  A national and international lecturer on the topic of diabetes management, Cefalu will be speaking on the role that incretin therapeutics play in diabetes management.

At LifeScan where he develops diabetes health management and educational programs for health-care providers and institutions around the country, Kim Kelly, Pharm.D, CMD, BCPS, FCCP, is the director of Diabetes Programs.  He also conducts research in diabetes behavior management.  Kelly is board certified in Pharmacotherapy and is a Certified Diabetes Manager (NISPC). 

Paul Madden, MEd, is the director of Medical Affairs and Advocacy for the Animas Corporation. Madden has chaired many national and international meetings for professionals, parents and young people with diabetes and is a member of several national diabetes organizations.  He was a leader in the successful fight for more comprehensive insurance coverage and research funding and a founder of international organizations to develop, refine and share best practices. He also launched new business opportunities to enhance the lives of people and families living with diabetes and support the activities of professionals, organizations, and companies focused on enhancing their lives. He has also spoken throughout the world, motivating patients and families to embrace a safe, more balanced life.  Madden will speak on family dynamics and diabetes for children and adults.

Indigent and underserved care has been a passion for Dr. Michael O’Dell, MSHA, as he helped create the Health Education at Local Schools (HEALS) clinics in Huntsville, Alabama.  O’Dell, is the director of the University of Mississippi Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program at North Mississippi Medical Center.  He serves on the Board of Directors for two indigent clinics in Tupelo, Mississippi.  He also serves on the Commission for Quality of the American Academy of Family Physicians; Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Foundation; Mississippi Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee; and as a Governors Appointee to the Mississippi Hospital Equipment and Finance Authority. His current work focuses on quality improvement and chronic disease. 

Gretchen Piatt, PhD, MPH, CHES, is the associate director of evaluation at the Diabetes Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.  Her work consists of redesigning the health system through implementation of the Chronic Care Model in the community. Piatt continues to work on these issues, along with other diabetes translation issues, in her current position. She has contributed to numerous diabetes research studies and authored a number of diabetes publications. She serves on several local, state, national, and international diabetes committees.  Piatt will speak on the subject of redesigning the diabetes health care system and understanding and exploring new roles for the diabetes educator in this process.

Dr. Herman Taylor, MPH, will serve as the conference’s moderator. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School as well as his MPH.  Taylor is the director and principal investigator of the Jackson Heart Study– the landmark study that examines the factors that influence the development of cardiovascular disease in African American men and women. Taylor is also professor of medicine and an attending physician in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) is the state’s only nonprofit health organization that provides diabetes research, information, patient services and advocacy, and its mission is to provide hope through research, programs and service to the 346,500 Mississippians with diabetes. Every dollar raised by the DFM stays in the state to support these efforts. In addition, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes towards the organization’s charitable purposes. The DFM is the one diabetes organization totally dedicated to all Mississippians– from children to seniors– who live with diabetes.

The cost to attend the conference is $150 for physicians and $100 for other health-care practitioners. Physicians will receive an estimated five credits, and upon approval, nurses will receive six credit hours. Dieticians and pharmacists will receive an estimated 5.5 hours, and social workers will receive a half credit hour. All credit hours are subject to change.

To register for the symposium and earn CME credit hours, please call the DFM at 601-957-7878 or 1-877-DFM-CURE.  To register online, visit www.msdiabetes.org.