Dr. Philis-Tsimikas provides an introduction to the 2021 Updates in Diabetes Management program.
I'm dr Athena phillips Amicus and I am an adult entrepreneur ologists here at the scripts with your diabetes institute where I'm also corporate vice president and uh really I'm very happy to see the diverse group of people that are here today together with me over the next day and a half are my co directors, dr Samantha Harris and she is both an adult endocrinologists and an obesity medicine specialist seeing patients at the Scripps Clinic Center for Weight Management. She's also involved in our professional education programs and has been my partner here for a number of years putting together these programs. Um I'm looking forward to having her co moderate our sessions and she will lead the sessions tomorrow on obesity. Uh also uh one of our co directors and helping us put together this program this year is more a rollback or an advanced practice nurse and a certified diabetes educator for over 20 years. She's worked here at the Whittier Diabetes Institute in a variety of roles since 1998 and has an extensive nursing career including clinical and management roles and emergency services, critical care, medical, surgical wellness, cardiac and pulmonary rehab. She's been involved in many of our innovative initiatives and pilot programs and has really helped us put together these programs for a number of years and I'm really happy that she's helped us with this one again, The course today is going to have the most recent medications, nutrition and technology recommendations for managing patients with both type one and type two diabetes. We have a truly amazing lineup today. I feel so fortunate that we've been able to um get the speakers that we have and be able to um have you listened to them? I know many of them personally and have worked with them and they really are excellent and at the top of their fields and what they do just a few housekeeping items before we go over our first speaker, the conference agenda and the course materials can be found on the script, health cmi conference app and here on the live stream event page. The app is available free of charge for all participants in today's program is also being recorded and it will be available to access in about one month for anyone that might want to um see some of the sessions once again um the live stream details all our participants will be muted during the lectures to avoid any background noise for best streaming results, please be sure to close all other web pages and apps on your computer that may slow down your internet connection. Be sure to close any VPN or office connections that may slow down your internet speed. You can submit questions or comments using the buttons below um the live feed video and please do that. You can do that during the lectures and then we'll be seeing those come in and we'll make sure to ask our speakers about any questions that might come up. Um if the live video feed freezes, just refresh your browser and hit play to resume the video, please don't forget to check out the exhibit hall. We couldn't put these programs on without some of our sponsors and our exhibitors please check in with them as well. Uh This is a time to network as well with colleagues so you can use the chat board on the side of the live stream video to let us know your name where you're from your role and to connect with other attendees. And then finally um cmI or C. E. Certificates. In order to receive these, you must complete the online course evaluation and be sure to claim your credits and instructions for taking the course evaluation will then be mailed to you by early next week. So I think I've captured everything that was housekeeping. Before we go on to our first speaker. I just wanted to take a few moments to tell you how exciting things have been in the world of diabetes. I've been doing this for 25 years. Uh and in just the last year to the things that have happened in diabetes, it's just continuing to amaze me. Um so I just wanted to share a few of the updates. Uh we know that this is the 100 year anniversary of diabetes of insulin 1921 is when it was first discovered by a friend fred Banting and Charles Best. These are a couple of the very first patients that were treated and teddy writer living a nice long right life after receiving insulin is pretty amazing. Um but there are other amazing things going on with insulin. We've seen how it's transpired over the years and coming down the pike once weekly basil insulin. These are just a couple of the molecules that are currently being tested. Were doing much of this research here at the scripts with your diabetes institute. But in many other places across the country and across the world. So amazing progress. They're contributing to the care of people with diabetes. What else? The world of technology has has been remarkable and this was just sent to me recently. Thank you Shelly uh found this online but we've seen things like this before, a noninvasive blood sugar monitor. This no doubt is still in testing phase is we've seen all the great changes that have occurred by having continuous glucose monitoring now available and where we can take that. Um but possibly a non invasive monitors on its way as well. What else in the world of technology? Well we know large amounts of data can be converted to meaningful recommendations through ai how is that being used? You may have heard one of the very first medical Ai technology is being used is for diabetic retinopathy and it's interesting that now you can walk into a safeway in many places and be able to get your retinal screen done and it comes up with an interpretation as well. Another incredibly interesting announcement that just came out a few days ago. Uh Pluripotent cells, stem cells induced pluripotent stem cells. And there's been a lot of work done here. This one is from uh work that was first started through doug melton's lab, but when you can take these cells and convert them potentially into beta cells is what's happening and then take those in um inject those and then see that there is a decrease in the daily insulin requirements In people with type one diabetes. That makes you wonder how, how far out is this on the horizon? And is this something that's coming down the road and very exciting? I mean for me really kind of mind blowing. Um so with that, um I can tell you that just the past a year I was able to participate in one of the sessions of the american diabetes association uh and love this topic harnessing telemedicine after everything we've been through for the last year and a half. Um I don't think any of us expected that this year, we'll be doing this once again virtually. Last year was the first time we did our diabetes updates virtually. But here we are again. Um the future really is now and how has technology and telemedicine health does really one of the quotes I'd seen recently and truly believe this technology. It's not just supporting doctrine but it is super powering it. So here are some of my favorite superheroes, all of you are absolutely superheroes. And the technology that we now have access to is super powering the way we do medicine.