Across the country, diabetes is a growing concern. In Maine, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the 7th leading cause of death. National data follows these trends, with approximately 26 million people in the U.S. living with diabetes. In order to shine a light on this growing epidemic, MDI Hospital has chosen leading diabetes expert Dr. Mark Schutta as keynote speaker for its 2013 Annual Meeting, set for Monday, August 5.
Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Dr. Schutta, Medical Director of the Penn Rodenbaugh Diabetes Center at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, on emerging findings in diabetes research and treatment. Dr. Schutta is a board certified internist and endocrinologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and hypoglycemia disorders. As a physician, Dr. Schutta is on the frontline of the diabetes epidemic. He predominantly cares for patients with pre-diabetes, type 1 and 2 diabetes as well as post-transplantation diabetes, a frequent and serious complication that can follow kidney transplantation.
Dr. Schutta’s research at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on the implementation of comprehensive diabetes disease management programs, patient errors in the use of insulin, the epidemiology of hypertension and diabetes, and insulin resistance. He serves as the Medical Director of the Penn Islet Cell Transplantation Program, which involves the study of the transplantation of islet cells from a donor pancreas to the pancreas of a diabetic patient. Once transplanted, the islets begin to produce insulin, actively regulating the level of glucose in the blood. His research has also led him to study the effect of bariatric surgery on diabetes remission and the association of coronary calcification and cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients.
The Hospital’s 2013 Annual Meeting is set to be held at the Bar Harbor Club on West Street on Monday, August 5th. Community members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Join us for hors d’oeuvres and entertainment from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with presentations from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A cash bar will be available. For more information pleases contact Event Coordinator Brenda Sprague at 288-5082, ext. 1198 or brenda.sprague@mdihospital.org.