Barnes-Jewish Hospital - Type 1 Diabetes

If you met Summer Richardson of St. Louis, a vibrant, young social worker for the aging and disabled, you'd find it hard to believe that just months ago fatigue often dampened her enjoyment of travel, shopping and eating out with friends. When excessive thirst led her to the doctor's office for a suspected urinary tract infection in 1997, Richardson was instead diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes caused by her body's inability to produce insulin. "Until I started going to Barnes-Jewish Hospital regularly in 2005, controlling my diabetes so that I could lead a normal life was a struggle," says Richardson." The hands-on approach and educational focus of the diabetes specialists have helped me tremendously. They really understand the disease, and their accessibility and concern make me feel more like a daughter than a patient." At the Washington University Diabetes Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Richardson has learned how to better manage her diabetes and regain control of her life. This training has allowed Richardson flexibility with her diet, exercise and insulin pump regimen. "For the first time since my diagnosis, I know when I'm sleepy that it's not because my blood sugar is too high," says Richardson. "I know that seems like a small thing, but it's huge for me." Collaborative Care The new Diabetes Center uniquely enables diabetes patients to select the members of our team of experts they need to see along with their primary care physician. They also can select which services fit their needs at different times of their lives. Patients access the most advanced technology, treatments and clinical research for their diabetes care—all under one roof. "The center offers in- and outpatient care and services, research and education, in a caring environment enhanced by superior service," says Garry Tobin, MD, a Washington University endocrinologist at Barnes-Jewish and medical director of the Diabetes Center. "Patients can seek help from an institution recognized as a national leader and from specialists who can help them manage diabetes through various stages and the ups and downs of coping with a chronic disease." Whether you're newly diagnosed or have had diabetes for years, you can benefit from the advantages associated with the Washington University Diabetes Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.