Children's Hospital Awarded State Grant for Improving Care of Type 2 Diabetes
ALBANY, N.Y., December 28, 2006-- The Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center has received a $500,000, five-year grant from the New York State Department of Health to create an education program for health care providers treating children with Type 2 diabetes.
The alarming increase in Type 2 diabetes--once seen only in adults--parallels and is associated with the rise of obesity among children. Albany Med will use the grant to train pediatricians, nurses, physician assistants, dietitians and exercise therapists in the latest approaches to meet the medical, nutritional and social needs of children with Type 2 diabetes, as well as to promote community awareness and prevention efforts.
"Because of the epidemic of obesity, we anticipate an explosion in the number of Type 2 diabetes cases among children," David Clark, M.D., director of the Children's Hospital. "It is imperative that we learn the best way to take care of our young patients."
A survey of children 12 to 19 years old from 1999 to 2002 showed that 29 percent of adolescents diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2--and most of those cases are in minority populations. In addition to educating health care practitioners, Albany Med will use the grant to create community partnerships with organizations such as the YMCA and the American Diabetes Association to strengthen health awareness in area neighborhoods.
"Through the programs and partnerships we will develop with this grant, Albany Medical Center has the opportunity to become a leader in diagnosing and treating Type 2 diabetes in children," said Clark. "We also hope our educational resources will generate greater awareness of this serious illness and better prevention methods among families."
Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York's only academic health sciences center. It consists of Albany Medical College, Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc. Additional information about Albany Medical Center can be found at www.amc.edu.
Additional information can be found at www.amc.edu.
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Jean DerGurahian
