Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group is pleased to offer world-class diabetes care through a telehealth solution at HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, 200 S. Cedar St., Shelbyville, IL. Their highly-specialized team of experts, including board-certified endocrinologists, nurse practitioners, certified diabetes educators and dietitians, work together to provide patients with the tools they need to manage their diabetes and live their best life now through a telehealth option in Shelbyville.
“By establishing a telehealth platform, the Joslin team can now reach more patients in rural areas who are in need of diabetes care, and facilitate care coordination, which improves health outcomes and reduces morbidity and mortality rates,” said Jeaneene Gesell, Telehealth Service Line Manager.
The Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston is known as the global leader in diabetes research, care and education. Joslin is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and dedicated to conquering diabetes in all its forms. Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group has a multidisciplinary team approach to managing diabetes that has been demonstrated to be the most effective.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose backs up in the bloodstream, causing one’s blood glucose (sometimes referred to as blood sugar) to rise too high. The Joslin team’s care plan touches on all facets of diabetes care for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes symptoms can start gradually. You may start to notice excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, unexplained fatigue or wounds that don’t heal, to name a few. On the other hand, you may experience no symptoms at all. Chronic complications of diabetes can lead to amputation, kidney failure, neuropathy or blindness. Such are the challenges of this disease. Diabetes is complex. It’s life-changing. But it’s also manageable.
The Joslin team manages diabetes care for patients ages 5 and up. To optimize every patient’s care plan the team embraces state-of-the-art technology. For example, Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group is the first health care provider in central and southern Illinois to offer the MiniMed® 670G system, the first FDA-approved hybrid closed loop system. This advanced system is the first insulin pump to automatically deliver a personalized amount of background (basal) insulin needed by the body 24 hours a day. For patients with Type 1 diabetes who don’t have the ability to produce insulin like those with a healthy pancreas, this system will learn their insulin needs via an intelligent algorithm and deliver a tailored amount of insulin every five minutes to maximize the time their glucose levels stay within a healthy range. The system is approved for patients with Type 1 diabetes, ages 7 years and older.
“This pump technology is a significant breakthrough for patients with Type 1 diabetes, as it will take on more of the work for patients and alleviate some of the mental burden associated with daily management,” said Poornima Jayaramaiah, MD, board-certified endocrinologist at Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group in Springfield, IL. “The greatest advantage with the new pump technology is the capability to achieve good, consistent blood sugar levels with fewer incidences of high or low blood sugars.”
Brenda Michel, FNP, Certified Diabetes Educator at Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group, emphasized that “education is another critical component of the diabetes care program at Joslin. In addition to one-to-one counseling with certified diabetes educators, patients and their families have access to a range of educational materials and classes. Our patient-focused classes are led by diabetes care experts and include a carb-counting and insulin class, as well as meal planning and cooking classes in the onsite state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen.”
Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group wants patients to be able to live and enjoy healthy and active lives not limited by diabetes. Their team of providers, nurses, dietitians and educators are committed to providing the best care possible to their patients. The communities they serve have access to a world-class diabetes program, state-of-the-art technology and education.
Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at HSHS Medical Group is located at 1118 Legacy Pointe Drive in Springfield, IL. Services are also available at select medical offices in Decatur and O’Fallon, IL. Telehealth services are now available at HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, located at 200 S. Cedar St., Shelbyville, IL. For more information on a referral or to make an appointment through the telehealth services in Shelbyville, call (217) 787-8870.