Newport Beach, Calif., December 1, 2008 – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced today the establishment of the Ueberroth Program Women and Diabetes at the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center.  Funded by a $1 million gift from the Ueberroth Family Foundation, this program will dramatically enhance the continuity of care available for women in the community.

“Healthy mothers make for healthy families,” says Ginny Ueberroth, “our goal is to help the Allen Center reach farther into the community to ensure that all women, regardless of their financial circumstances, have access to world-class diabetes care before, during and after pregnancy.” 

According to Peter Ueberroth, “Hoag Hospital is committed to the health of communities throughout Orange County, not just those on the coast, and so we must step up to support the critical mission of the hospital.  This mission is even more important during times of economic hardship. Our family is happy to be able to help the hospital fulfill its goals.”
The management of diabetes during pregnancy is essential for a successful pregnancy, including a healthy mother, a normal delivery and a healthy infant.  Gestational diabetes (GDM), or diabetes that first develops during pregnancy, may develop in up to 7% of the population.  Though all ethnic groups experience gestational diabetes, Hispanic, Asian and African American women are at particular risk.

According to Tamerou Asrat, M.D. director of the Sweet Success Program at Hoag Hospital and medical director of maternal fetal medicine, “The Ueberroth Program will allow us to expand our already award winning Sweet Success program so that it benefits many more mothers throughout Orange County.  In particular, by being able to offer our program in Spanish, we will be able to make a difference in communities that sometimes fall outside of the current healthcare model.”

The Allen Center will build on Hoag’s regionally recognized achievements in the care of women with gestational diabetes and will provide expanded services through increased outreach to community obstetricians to encourage that all pregnant women be screened for GDM by 24 weeks’ gestation and that women at elevated risk of GDM be screened earlier.  Once identified, women with GDM will be referred to the Allen Center for education and support throughout the remainder of the pregnancy.  The Allen Center will also provide advanced education, support and follow-up care for women with pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who become pregnant, which will include persistent follow up for a six-week post partum oral glucose tolerance test for all patients with gestational diabetes in order to diagnose the development of Type 2 diabetes.  Kris V. Iyer, M.D., medical director of the Allen Diabetes Center has made women’s health a priority of the center.  “Women with diabetes are at high risk of developing serious complications from the disease.  When these complications come during pregnancy the effect is twofold, as both the mother’s health and the health of her baby are at risk.  Coming on the heels of American Diabetes Month in November, I am especially grateful for the Ueberroths’ investment in our program.”

“We are deeply thankful to the Ueberroth family for their continued commitment to women’s health in our community," said Richard Afable, M.D., president and CEO of Hoag Hospital. “The Ueberroth Program for Women and Diabetes will bring much needed services to families affected by this important, and all-to-common condition.  Hoag Hospital’s mission to bring world class care to all persons, including those least able to afford it, is supported and enhanced by the Ueberroth family's vision and generosity."  

About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (www.hoaghospital.org) is a 498-bed, not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women’s health. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 13 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 13 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey.
 

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