 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riley Hospital, patients, advocates and IndyCar driver come together to raise diabetes awareness
11/14/2008
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Indiana; fourth leading cause for African Americans
INDIANAPOLIS - On Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Riley Hospital for Children will host an event in observance of World Diabetes Day to help raise diabetes awareness.
Diabetes patients and their families have been invited to Riley Hospital where they will create a mural depicting their life with diabetes, get their portraits drawn by a caricature artist, meet IndyCar driver A.J Foyt, IV and check his race car, the Number 2 Lilly Diabetes sponsored for Vision Racing.
This free, fun event will also feature speakers including Riley diabetes patients who will share what it’s like to live with diabetes; Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD, Riley Hospital for Children, Eli Lilly and Company Scholar in Pediatric Diabetes and associate professor of pediatrics, medicine, and physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine; and Robert Heine, MD, PhD, FRCP, Eli Lilly and Company, executive medical director, diabetes and endocrine division. The American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will also have exhibits and literature available.
| WHAT: | Riley Hospital for Children World Diabetes Event |
| WHEN: | Saturday, November 15 11 am - 1 pm Speakers begin at 11:05 am Youth activities begin at 11:30 am |
| WHERE: | Riley Hospital for Children - Atrium 702 Barnhill Dr. |
| EDITOR'S NOTE: | A.J. Foyt, IV will be in attendance and signing autographs until 12pm. All featured speakers will be available for interviews immediately following the program. |
Riley Hospital is home to one of the largest and most highly regarded pediatric diabetes clinical programs in the country, treating more than 1,800 children with diabetes each year. The Pediatric Endocrinology Section of the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University and Riley Hospital has achieved national respect and a growing international reputation for excellence in its clinical services and clinical research in the area of type 1 diabetes. Its programs have expanded exponentially in the past decade and have reached a critical state in the pursuit to establish a world-class center for pediatric diabetes.
Riley Hospital also is part of the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium, an international group coordinating efforts to identify individuals' risk of developing diabetes. Moreover, the Riley Pediatric Diabetes Program was among the first in the United States to introduce the use of a pediatric insulin pump, which freed parents of diabetic children from having to administer insulin shots.
In November 2006, Eli Lilly and Company, a worldwide leader in diabetes treatment, research and education, gifted $10 million to Riley Children’s Foundation that is being used to recruit internationally recognized diabetes specialists who are establishing a preeminent program in pediatric diabetes research. This research will complement Riley's program in clinical pediatric diabetes taking place within the Indiana University School of Medicine.
The gift will also help establish the Eli Lilly and Company Center for Pediatric Diabetes at Riley Hospital for Children and the Indiana University School of Medicine. The center encompasses the basic scientific research programs at Riley and IU. In addition, a facility within the clinical care program will provide education and care to the families of children with type 1 diabetes. The facility will accommodate nursing, nutrition, medical social work staff and ancillary services to deliver state-of-the-art diabetes care.
According to the American Diabetes Association:
About Riley Hospital for Children As Indiana's first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children, a part of Clarian Health, has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families for 80 years. Each year Riley serves over 160,000 inpatients and outpatients from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Riley Hospital's partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make it the only comprehensive clinical resource for Indiana's children and the premiere source for health related information for their parents. From simple care associated with the health and wellness of children and less complex specialty care to the most critically-ill and medically complex cases, Riley Hospital for Children is the leader for pediatric care in the state and the region. In 2004, Clarian became Indiana's first magnet hospital system. Clarian Health Partners, Inc. operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law.
CONTACT:
Margie Smith-Simmons
317.962.4085 (o)
317.312.4348 (p)
msmithsi@clarian.org