Diabetes Fellowship

Diabetes is currently reaching epidemic proportions in the United States with over 29 million persons affected in this country. The total costs of healthcare for people with diabetes in the U.S. exceeded $322 billion in 2012.

Eastern North Carolina is one of the areas in the “diabetes belt” that is defined by having counties with over an 11% prevalence of diabetes. The incidence is higher in Eastern North Carolina given the high percentage of minorities, the high prevalence of obesity, and substandard health care in much of our rural area. This is certainly bad news for the health of our area but a great opportunity for learners.

The good news is that thanks to medical research, we are undergoing an unprecedented explosion in the development of new treatments for patients with diabetes. What is ironic and most unfortunate is that at this very time we are facing a serious shortage of diabetes specialists in the U.S. and in areas Eastern N.C. in particular.