Cook Children's
Dr. Paul Thornton
Cook Children’s Health Care System said its Hyperinsulinism Center has been named one of six Hyperinsulinism Centers of Excellence worldwide, by Congenital Hyperinsulinism International.
The designation recognizes centers that provide the "highest level of multi-disciplinary care to congenital hyperinsulinism patients and their families," Cook Children's said.
Hyperinsulinism is a rare genetic disease in which the pancreas produces too much insulin, driving blood sugar levels dangerously low and depriving the brain of important fuels it needs to function. It affects about 1 in 20,000 to 30,000 newborn babies each year.
"The treatment of congenital hyperinsulinism is very complex," Dr. Paul Thornton, medical director of the Cook Children's Hyperinsulinism Center, said.
"It's really important that patients with rare diseases have access to multidisciplinary teams such as are at Cook Children's Hyperinsulinism Center where the approach and the experience of the team members caring for these patients results in better outcomes with shorter lengths of stay, getting the patient's home to their families as fast as possible."
Cook Children’s in November 2020 celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Hyperinsulinism Center. Thornton built and leads the program, which includes physicians specialized in endocrinology, pediatric surgery, neonatology, neurology, gastroenterology, pathology and radiology. The team is supported by a dedicated CHI nurse practitioner, social worker, clinical therapist, child life specialist, nutritionist and feeding and speech therapists.
“There are some superb institutions known for providing excellent HI care and participating in groundbreaking research, yet until now, there has not been a review process or certificate awarded to these institutions for the care of those with HI,” Julie Raskin, executive director of Congenital Hyperinsulinism International, said.
The awarded centers are:
- Hyperinsulinism Center at Cook Children’s
- Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Great Ormond Street Hospital Congenital Hyperinsulinism Service in London
- Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin and the University Children's Hospital Duesseldorf partnership in Germany
- Collaborative Alliance on Congenital Hyperinsulinism, headquartered in Magdeburg, Germany
- Northern Congenital Hyperinsulinism Service in Manchester and Liverpool, United Kingdom
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