Dr. Celeste Thomas, Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, is the recipient of the Department of Medicine’s Diversity Award. This award is in recognition of Dr. Thomas’ tremendous contributions to the institution and its missions, but more importantly her commitment to actionable approaches to health-related issues that affect minority populations.

Dr. Thomas is using Technology to Address Disparities and Promote Healthcare Equity in Type 1 Diabetes. The EquiT1D study focuses on minority populations with type 1 diabetes. Despite management with insulin, type 1 diabetes continues to contribute to morbidity and premature mortality. Low-resourced, racial minority populations are especially hard hit, not meeting recommended guidelines for T1D care and have early complications including kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, blindness, and death. New technologies are a particularly promising approach to the better management of T1D. Dr. Thomas’s EquiT1D study is an intervention employing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology and a patient navigator for participants that have two or more hospitalizations for DKA in the last five years. This is an ongoing study that is designed to address if use of technology with assistance from a navigator can reduce admissions for DKA in the minority community. This work has received special funding from the Lewis-Sebring Family Foundation for 5 years, and is an example of how Dr. Thomas engages patients in minority communities to improve care and selfcare outcomes.