The Whittier Children’s Diabetes Center

The Whittier Children’s Diabetes Center at Children’s Hospital, San Diego

Staffed by Children’s Hospital and University of California, San Diego Medical endocrinologists, The Whittier Institute collaborates to provide resources and track outcomes for innovative programs and initiatives that would otherwise go unfunded.

Currently, Children’s is operating under a grant from The Whittier that enabled the hiring of two diabetes educators. Already, these nurses have developed and implemented three programs to better meet the needs of their young patients and the community.

New Patient Education- the Children’s team is transitioning their education of new patients from a three to four day inpatient process to an outpatient setting.

Community Outreach- to educate San Diegans about the growing epidemic of diabetes in our children and youth, Children’s is networking with various community resources, including Project Dulce and local schools.

Pump Training- the educators developed a training class/support group for children learning to use the insulin pump, held monthly at The Whittier Diabetes Resource Center. Generic training materials are used which give patients the freedom to choose the pump they prefer. In addition, the classroom setting allows children who have been using their pumps for a month or more to share their struggles and listen to others talk about their experiences.

For more information about pediatric insulin pump management classes, call 858-966-4032