Renowned Diabetes Expert Named Inaugural Director Of New Comprehensive Pediatric Diabetes Center At NYU Langone Medical Center

NEW YORK, June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mary Pat Gallagher, MD, a well-known leader in the field of pediatric endocrinology, has been named the director of the newly created Robert I. Grossman, MD and Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD Pediatric Diabetes Center. As a recognized leader in the field of pediatrics, NYU Langone's new center will provide comprehensive care and support for children and families living with all forms of diabetes.

Dr. Gallagher, who joined NYU Langone in February 2016 as a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics, previously served as co-director of the Pediatric Diabetes Program at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center for more than 10 years. She was also an assistant professor of pediatrics and an assistant attending at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic illnesses in school-age children, and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing among children and young adults in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While there is no cure, early diagnosis and conscientious disease management can help children with diabetes live long, productive lives.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Gallagher to lead our newly created Pediatric Diabetes Center, which underscores the institution's commitment to expanding its world-class, multidisciplinary department in primary and specialized pediatric care," says Catherine S. Manno, MD, the Pat and John Rosenwald Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics. "A proven leader in her field with extensive experience in the research and treatment of pediatric diabetes, she will be a significant asset in driving top-level care to not only meet the physical needs of patients and their families, but their emotional and mental health needs as well."

An anonymous $10 million gift names the new center in honor of Robert I. Grossman, MD, the Saul J. Farber Dean and CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center, and his wife, Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology.

"Elisabeth and I are enormously humbled with this extraordinary gesture of support for the work we do at NYU Langone in pediatric medicine," says Dr. Grossman. "The department has long been a galvanizing leader in the field, and this gift can only serve to strengthen its already outstanding clinical, academic, and research programs."

A Reputation for Advancing Innovative Care for Children and Families

The establishment of the new Robert I. Grossman, MD and Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD Pediatric Diabetes Center expands the already world-renowned care provided to children and adolescents as part of Hassenfeld Children's Hospital. Working closely with the Sala Institute for Child & Family Centered Care, the center will provide comprehensive psychosocial support and wellness services to help children and families--an integral part of the care team--understand treatment options, partner with their physicians, and learn how to manage their disease.

The Pediatric Diabetes Center's staff of physicians, social workers, dieticians, and other specialists will provide classes in nutrition, blood sugar management, and self-care, as well as support groups for patients, parents, and siblings. Alongside its clinical and educational services, Dr. Gallagher will lead research efforts to better understand and treat diabetes in children and adolescents.

"I am proud to join the NYU Langone faculty in the Department of Pediatrics, an institution with an exceptional reputation of delivering the highest level of patient and family-centered care," says Dr. Gallagher. "The collaboration and innovation that will arise from this multidisciplinary approach to diabetes care will enhance clinical and supportive care for our patients and provide an atmosphere that is sensitive to the unique needs of children and families."

The formation of the new Pediatric Diabetes Center comes at an exciting time for the medical center, as it continues to expand pediatric services with the opening of a new multidisciplinary facility for the Hassenfeld Children's Hospital in 2018, highlighting NYU Langone's continued commitment to providing the highest level of comprehensive pediatric care to children and families.

Background and Training Highlights

An undergraduate alumnus of Seton Hall University, Dr. Gallagher earned her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She completed her pediatrics residency--including a year as Chief Resident--and a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the Babies and Children's Hospital of New York at Columbia University Medical Center.

Her ongoing research on type 1 diabetes has been supported by the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In addition, her work has been published in Diabetes, The Journal of Pediatrics, and Pediatric Diabetes.

About NYU Langone Medical Center

NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center, is one of the nation's premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research, and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of five hospitals--Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; Rusk Rehabilitation; the Hospital for Joint Diseases, the Medical Center's dedicated inpatient orthopaedic hospital; NYU Lutheran Medical Center, a full-service, 450-bed teaching hospital located in Brooklyn, and Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, a comprehensive pediatric hospital supporting a full array of children's health services across the Medical Center. Also part of NYU Langone is NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history, and the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. The Medical Center's trifold mission to serve, teach, and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education, and research. For more information, go to www.NYULangone.org, and interact with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Google+.

CONTACT: Annie Harris, 212-404-3588, Annie.Harris@nyumc.org

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SOURCE NYU Langone Medical Center