Transforming Diabetes Care in Hudson Valley

Poughkeepsie, NY, May 20, 2016 – Dr. Jill Brodsky is the kind of doctor we all want to have – highly skilled, caring, full of energy, and so committed, she consistently seeks out ways to help her patients outside of office hours. Her efforts have transformed the quality of care for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the Hudson Valley. So it is no surprise that Dr. Brodsky is being honored by JDRF at their annual fundraising gala. Her hope for the gala? That it will raise enough money for JDRF’s mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications that it will eventually leave her patient-free.

This fundraising event on June 3 features dinner, dancing, and an exciting evening of entertainment with both silent and live auctions. A trip to Disneyworld, a year of beer from Peekskill Brewery and a balloon and helicopter ride are just some of the items up for grabs in the auctions. Tickets are $150 and available at https://jdrf-hudsonvalley.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/HopeGala2016 or by calling 203-854-0658.

Dr. Brodsky didn’t start out thinking she would be an endocrinologist helping kids with diabetes. But after volunteering to work at diabetes camps during both medical school and her fellowship at Yale, she was intrigued by how complex type 1 diabetes care was and how much it would allow her to have a long-term and important relationship with her patients. “No single plan of care works for everyone with T1D; the challenge of finding what will work for each of my patients is what makes my job so fulfilling,” said Dr. Brodsky. “Although there have been significant advancements and new therapies for people with T1D to help manage the disease, it still requires thoughtful attention from the physician and lots of effort from the patient and their family.”

When Dr. Brodsky set up practice in Poughkeepsie five years ago, most children with T1D were going outside of Hudson Valley to get care. She wanted to change that. Dr. Brodsky created programs for school nurses to teach them how to help their students with T1D, designed seminars for parents on the technology available for their kids, and established a camp program. She also became the only provider in Hudson Valley to participate in TrialNet, an international research program focused on finding ways to prevent or delay the onset of T1D among those at high risk for the disease. JDRF sponsored these efforts and helped build awareness.

Dr. Brodsky continues to regularly volunteer her time to JDRF and her patients. She has served on the JDRF Board of Directors, still acts as camp doctor at Camp SETEBAID in Pennsylvania one week every summer and goes to all the JDRF Walks that help raise money for research. Now thirty-three percent of her practice is made up of patients with T1D. “It makes me feel amazing when I see one of my patients at the grocery store, at school or at a JDRF Walk looking healthy and happy,” said Dr. Brodsky. “If I can encourage life-long good habits that help them manage their T1D, I will have done my job.”

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. T1D strikes both children and adults and has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. Currently type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. People with T1D must regularly monitor their blood sugar level, inject or continually infuse insulin through a pump, and carefully balance their insulin doses with eating and daily activities throughout the day and night. However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, and even with intensive disease management, people with T1D are at risk for devastating complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation. JDRF funds research that transforms the lives of people with type 1 diabetes – to make day-to-day life with T1D easier, safer and healthier and ultimately find a cure.

Dr. Brodsky feels extremely honored to be recognized by JDRF at their annual gala. She hopes that it will bring awareness of how T1D affects not only each child who has it, but the whole family…and how much we truly need a cure.

About the JDRF 2016 One Wish Hope Gala

Date: Friday, June 3, 2016
6:00 pm – Cocktails and Silent Auction

7:30 pm - 11:00 pm Seated Dinner, Dancing, Live Auction & Fund A Cure

Location: Powelton Club, 29 Old Balmville Road, Newburgh, NY 12550

Tickets are available via: https://jdrf-hudsonvalley.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/HopeGala2016 or by calling 203-854-0658.

Sponsorships are available at different levels and benefits, as well as some unique underwriting opportunities. Please contact Marcia Maslo at mmaslo@jdrf.org

If you’d like to purchase an ad in the Gala Journal to show your support for those living with T1D or congratulate our honorees or learn more about the auction, please contact Laila Tai at ltai@jdrf.org

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested nearly $2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers in more than 100 locations throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF