News Release: School of Medicine
May 20, 2009
Emory Endocrinologist Receives Outstanding Service Award
"Viva mas y major... con su diabetes bajo control!" Live longer and better with your diabetes under control! View video spearheaded & co-hosted by Dr. Umpierrez.Guillermo E. Umpierrez, MD, professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, metabolism at Emory University School of Medicine, and chief of diabetes and endocrinology at Grady Memorial Hospital, has been named the 2009 recipient of the "Outstanding Service Award for the Promotion of Endocrine Health of an Underserved Population" by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).
The Outstanding Service Award the Promotion of Endocrine Health of an Underserved Population is given to an individual for exceptional contributions to the care, health and service to an underserved population via leadership, long-term commitment, vision, innovation and impact/outcomes.
"I am honored to receive this award on behalf of the Grady Diabetes Clinic and the Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program staff," says Umpierrez. "This AACE Service Award for the Promotion of Endocrine Health of an Underserved Population is a great motivation to continue to serve and to develop mechanisms to assure quality diabetes care in this vulnerable patient population at high risk for diabetes complications."
The underserved Hispanic population in metro Atlanta is an example. According to Umpierrez, Latinos with diabetes have a higher incidence of diabetic complications than other ethnic groups. Umpierrez heads the Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program (ELDEP), the first nationally accredited all Spanish Diabetes education program dedicated to providing diabetes education and lifestyle intervention to Latinos in Georgia.
Under his leadership, the ELDEP has received funding in the amount close to $500,000 from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation and the pharmaceutical industry to develop a culturally sensitive, community-based diabetes education program targeting Latinos in metro Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia. Umpierrez spearheaded the development of a video produced by the ELDEP "Viva mas y major…con su diabetes bajo control!" (live longer and better with your diabetes under control!)
"In places where diabetes education in Spanish is unavailable, this tool will provide patients living with diabetes with critically important information about diabetes self-management," says Umpierrez.
Dr. Umpierrez received his medical degree from University of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, and completed his internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. Umpierrez's research interests include mechanisms for ß-cell dysfunction in minority populations with ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes, the effects of free fatty acids on insulin secretion and hypertension in obese patients, and the inpatient management of insulin in critical and non-critical patients.
His research and programs at Grady Hospital and Emory University are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA). Currently, Umpierrez’ research team is investigating the effects of different lipid emulsions in critically ill patients requiring parenteral nutrition. He has obtained permission from the food and Drug Administration to use olive oil as a potential nutrient in hospitalized patients. He believes that olive oil, a monounsaturated fatty acid, is a better lipid formulation than Intralipid causing less inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,200 members in the United States and 92 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE clinical endocrinologists advanced, specialized training enable them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.
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