Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/531147
their patients. Recognized by the American Diabetes A ssociat ion for Q ua lit y Self-Management Education, the Center is open five days per week at the hospital's ca mpuses in A k ron a nd Boardman. Services are also offered weekly at clinical sites in Medina and at Aultman Hospital in Canton. Future plans include expanding to Warren and Twinsburg. " We're embracing t he concept of a medical home and trying to see patients closer to where they live," says Dr. Fenton. "We want patient fa milies to have access to quality specialized care with minimal time off from school or work. "We also work hard to schedule patients in a timely fashion. If there's an urgent need, one of our physicians is available 24/7 to consult with a referring physician. After a patient is seen, we provide our findings and recommendations via letters or phone calls to all referring providers." A Seven-Physician Team The Center's physician staff includes seven board-certified or board-eligible pediatric endocrinologists. In addition to Dr. Fenton, they include Jaime Haidet, MD; Mamatha Kambalapalli, MD; Alicia Lowes, DO; Kimberly Martin, MD; Natinder Saini, MD; and Bradley Van Sickle, MD, PhD. Five pediatric endocrinology-trained certified nurse practitioners (CNPs), along with specially trained pediatric nurses, two dietitians, two social workers and a child psychologist, round out the clinical team. Conditions treated include Addison's Disease, adre- nal disorders, ambiguous genitalia, calcium and bone disorders, childhood obesity, congenital adrenal hyper- plasia, Cushing's Syndrome, delayed puberty, diabetes, disorders of minera l metabolism, disorders of sexua l development, gigantism, Graves' disease, growth disorders, hyperglycemia, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, hypothy- roidism, metabolic bone disease, parathyroid disorders, pheochromocytoma, precocious puberty, premature the- larche, short stature, thyroid disease, thyroid cancer and Turner syndrome. "All of our physicians see patients with diabetes and general pediatric endocrinology issues, but we each have a passion that goes much deeper — a special interest or subspecialty we're drawn to," Dr. Fenton notes. For example, Dr. Haidet's subspecialty interest is polycystic ovarian syndrome and diabetes. Dr. Lowes is interested in disorders of sexual differentiation. Dr. Van Sickle is published and known for his work with hypophosphatasia, an inherited disorder that disrupts mineralization and affects the develop- ment of bones and teeth. Dr. Saini's passion is managing the endocrine complications of obesity. Dr. Martin is interested in neuro-oncology and the endocrine consequences of cancer and cancer therapy. Dr. Kambalapalli has a special interest in significant bone health issues, such as osteoporosis and osteo- genesis imperfecta. The result is several new subspecialty clinics. Endocrine Complications of Obesity (ECO) Clinic Dr. Saini's interest in obesity stems from personal experience with weight issues and hypothyroidism. "I became a pediatric endocrinologist to gain more scientific and medical knowledge regarding the hormonal facets of obesity so I could educate families about their child's health and the urgent need to prevent complications such as heart disease and Type II diabetes," says Dr. Saini. "Kids are struggling not just with the physical ailments but also the psychosocial aspects of obesity." Recently, Dr. Saini developed the ECO clinic at the Center for Diabetes & Endocrinolog y on the A kron Children's Like all physicians at Akron Children's Hospital's Center for Diabetes & Endocrinology, Dr. Fenton and Dr. Saini see patients with diabetes and general pediatric endocrinology issues. But they also have a special interest or subspecialty. For example, Dr. Fenton's is Turner syndrome; Dr. Saini's is endocrine complications of obesity. PHOTO © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON, OHIO 2 0 1 5 J U LY/AU G U S T ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Cleveland/Akron/Canton | 1 5