Loyola opens Comprehensive Diabetes Care Clinic in Hickory Hills

More than 23 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Each year more than a million more cases will be diagnosed.

Untreated or poorly managed diabetes can cause severe health complications such as kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke and nerve damage. To help diabetic patients more easily care for their condition, Loyola has opened the Comprehensive Diabetes Care Clinic at Loyola Center for Health at Hickory Hills.

The Comprehensive Diabetes Care Clinic is a multidisciplinary program that offers diabetic patients access to all of the medical specialists and services they require during a single visit. The clinic is staffed by board-certified endocrinologists, a board-certified podiatrist and ophthalmologist, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes nurse educators.

"Diabetics have a much higher chance of developing heart disease, kidney disease and other medical problems so it's important that they get certain medical assessments done every year," said Dr. Gerald A. Charnogursky, medical director of the clinic and a board-certified endocrinologist. "The clinic allows patients to get all the assessments that they need for the next year at one place at one time."

Patients at the clinic receive individualized care plans that are specific to their medical needs and conditions. In addition to the management of blood glucose, the clinic assesses blood pressure and cholesterol levels. As part of a top academic medical center, the clinic also offers access to the latest in research and clinical trials.

Loyola's Comprehensive Diabetes Care Clinic program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and follows the ADA's standards of care. These standards are intended to optimally control diabetes and prevent complications.

The clinic treats both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients, age 18 and older and includes:

• Newly diagnosed patients.

• Patients whose disease is poorly controlled.

• Patients with difficult-to-control cholesterol or high blood pressure.

• Patients on oral medications or insulin therapy.

• Patients on insulin pumps or who are interested in insulin pump therapy.

• Patients interested in the latest diabetes therapies.

New patients are able to fill out a medical questionnaire online before their first appointment through myLoyola Select®, a secure Internet connection that enables all Loyola patients to view their medical histories, send messages to their doctor and receive a reply, schedule appointments and review test results. To sign up, patients obtain an activation code from their physicians and use that code to create a user ID and password. A parent or guardian can connect to a child's information by completing a Proxy Consent Form.