Diabetes Frontline Forum
Live Date: Saturday April 24, 2021 
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ESTSaturday April 24, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST
Virtual! Join from anywhere in the country and attend this event without leaving the comfort of your own home.
$20 Ticket
$10 Student Pricing
Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes. Home to the world-renowned CONTOUR® portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that help people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity.
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Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices and nutritionals. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
BD is a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and healthcare worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories. The company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures and support the management of diabetes.
At Canola Eat Well we love healthy food! We want to encourage you and your clients to be inspired to cook and bake in your kitchens with the best and the healthiest ingredients. Everyone needs some fat in their diet for good health. Fat supplies energy, carries flavours and helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Did you know that canola oil isn’t just versatile and economical, but has the least saturated fat of all common cooking oils – half that of olive oil. Canola oil is free of trans fat and a good source of plant-based omega-3 fat and vitamin E. At Canola Eat Well we also love to share stories about our farmers, their farms, and what they do to grow food for our tables. For further information, please visit www.canolaeatwell.com.
Dexcom, Inc, with headquarters in San Diego, Canada office in Vancouver and patients in 41 countries worldwide, provides continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products for people with diabetes ages 2 and older.
Janssen Inc., a pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson, has been an innovator in the Canadian healthcare industry for over 50 years. We are guided by Our Credo, where our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, and mothers and fathers, and all others who use our products and services. Our ultimate goal is to help people live healthy lives.
Medtronic Diabetes – Transforming Diabetes Care Together, For Greater Freedom and Better Health.
For more than 35 years, Medtronic has been helping people with diabetes. Medtronic is working with the global community to change the way people manage diabetes. Together, we will transform diabetes care by expanding access, integrating care, and improving outcomes, so people with diabetes can enjoy greater freedom and better health.
Our integrated insulin pump systems offer advanced protection and innovative design features to help improve time in range. Our Guardian™ Connect CGM System is a standalone continuous glucose monitoring system with 60 minutes predictive alerts.
Learn more at www.medtronicdiabetes.ca or visit our virtual booth during the conference and chat live with our experts! We look forward to seeing you soon virtually.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com
All presentations are in Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Dr. Barry Simon is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He is an assistant professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a consultant with the Leadership Centre for Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital where he improves diabetes adherence in patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. For the past two decades he has educated dietitians, family doctors and medical specialists on effective motivational and psychological strategies to improve diabetes adherence through an understanding of the mental challenges of living with a chronic illness.
He has developed structured, CBT-based programs for the treatment of emotional eating and binge-eating disorder. Increasingly, he has been using spiritually based methods in his care of patients who struggle with diabetes distress and diabetes adherence. He has presented on this topic to diabetes educators and endocrinologists as part of continuing education at annual updates.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
1. Recognize that diabetes distress has specific origins in the brain
2. Recognize the distress of living with a chronic illness through a discussion of diabetes distress.
3. Learn about a four-step process and its potential benefit in improving caregiver self care and diabetes distress management.
In this webinar, registered dietitian Shannan Grant will examine commonly asked questions about sweeteners available in Canada.
Research shows that Canadians recognize dietitians as a trustworthy and credible source of nutrition information. With the rise of science journalism and knowledge translation science, there has been a flood of research (and research-like communications) into popular and social media realms boasting catchy titles and key phrases aimed at hooking readers, and in some cases breeding fear. Shannan will provide practical examples and skills for improving science, nutrition, and media literacy, which are transferable to several topics, by engaging in a reflective practice live.
Be sure to check out the Industry Knowledge Exchange Stage, Exhibitor Tradeshow & Regional Community Showcase
Dr. Senior is professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta. His research activities and clinical practice are focused on the management and prevention of type 1 diabetes and its complications, and beta cell replacement therapies, including islet transplantation. He serves as the chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee and is a member of the Diabetes Canada board of directors.
Most people with diabetes die from cardiovascular disease. Around 40 percent of patients in cardiac units have diabetes. While smoking cessation and cholesterol-lowering medications have been helpful, people with diabetes continue to have around double the risk of heart attack and stroke. Helping people with diabetes achieve better blood glucose levels is challenging, which is leading some health-care professionals to question whether blood glucose control really matters if cardiovascular disease continues to drive premature mortality in diabetes.
We now have several different drugs that we know can safely lower blood glucose levels for people with type 2 diabetes; they can also reduce heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, as well as heart failure and kidney disease in people at high risk. This new information required us to radically update the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines at the end of 2020.
In this session, we will discuss these new drug classes and how they work before discussing how to identify which people will benefit most—and how to use them safely. We will highlight some resources that will make it easier to integrate these important changes into your practice, as we all want to do our best to help people with diabetes live long, healthy lives.
Dr. Harpreet Singh Bajaj is an endocrinologist and director of late-phase research at LMC Healthcare. He started his endocrinology practice with LMC Brampton in Brampton, Ont., in 2009 after completing his clinical fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic (Ohio, U.S.). Dr Bajaj’s medical education was at Maulana Azad Medical College (New Delhi, India), following which he attained a Master of Public Health (Epidemiology) at State University of New York in Albany (New York, U.S.).
Dr Bajaj is the principal investigator for the Canadian Diabetes Prevention Program (CDPP), and serves on the Diabetes Canada professional section executive board and as vice-chair of its Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG).
Learning objectives:
1. Discuss A1C, blood pressure, lipid targets and other diabetes goals
2. Provide an overview of glucose- lowering medications and recent guideline changes
3. Discuss basics of insulin management options and strategies
Be sure to check out the Industry Knowledge Exchange Stage, Exhibitor Tradeshow & Regional Community Showcase
Dr. Cheng is an endocrinologist at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ont., and at Unity Health Toronto, and is an associate professor at the University of Toronto. She has served on the Expert Committee for the 2003 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines, the Steering and Expert Committees for the 2008 revision, and as chair of the 2013 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines.
She is currently the chair of the professional section of Diabetes Canada and an associate editor for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. She has received a certificate of recognition from the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada in recognition of her contributions. She is also the creator of The Med Ed Pledge—an initiative to increase diversity and inclusion in continuing medical education.
People living with diabetes who take either insulin and/or sulfonylurea medications are at risk of experiencing hypoglycemia (low blood sugars). What are the signs and symptoms? How is hypoglycemia defined? How do we treat, avoid or minimize it? These questions and more will be addressed in this session.
Dr. Suri is a nephrologist, and associate professor, and director of the Division of Nephrology at McGill University in Montreal. She is actively engaged in clinical practice, teaching and research, and is nationally recognized for her leadership in nephrology.
Dr. Suri is a CIHR-funded clinical researcher and FRQS Junior 2 research scholar with more than 80 publications and five book chapters. Her research is focused on improving the morbidity and survival of patients with advanced kidney disease. She has served on multiple guideline committees for the Canadian, American, and International Nephrology societies, and founded the Canadian Nephrology Trials Network.
She is also a scientific officer for the CIHR Randomized Controlled Trials panel and the Kidney Foundation Grants Committee, and a member of the CIHR Advisory Board for the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. Recently she established a collaborative dialysis research network in Quebec to study the effects of COVID-19 on patients with advanced kidney disease.
Why are some people with diabetes prone to kidney disease while others are protected? How do we determine who is at risk? The pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease will be presented, as well as how to measure the severity of kidney disease, and risk of progression. Strategies to mitigate diabetic kidney disease will be examined. Finally, an overview of how to manage complications of advanced kidney disease and treatment modalities for end-stage kidney disease will be discussed.
Be sure to check out the Industry Knowledge Exchange Stage, Exhibitor Tradeshow & Regional Community Showcase
Dr. Steiner is a full professor and head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and an associate member of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Btitish Columbia. He is recognized nationally and internationally for his research work on immune responses to C. difficile infection (CDI) and the development of cellular therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
He currently holds grants as principal investigator from CIHR and Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada and leads active investigator initiated clinical trials involving CDI, ulcerative colitis, multidrug-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic allergies. Dr. Steiner’s clinical expertise is in general consultative infectious diseases, with a particular interest in infectious diarrhea and tropical medicine.
In this presentation, you will learn about...
Lisa deMolitor has spent most of her career in the Kootenays of British Columbia, but has returned to her Maritime roots and now lives in Annapolis Valley, N.S. She attended Acadia University for a Bachelor of Science and University of Waterloo for a Master of Public Health. She loves thinking and talking about food and eating it. She has a special interest in diabetes tech and enjoys learning from others and troubleshooting.
All presentations are in Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Lisa deMolitor has spent most of her career in the Kootenays of British Columbia, but has returned to her Maritime roots and now lives in Annapolis Valley, N.S. She attended Acadia University for a Bachelor of Science and University of Waterloo for a Master of Public Health. She loves thinking and talking about food and eating it. She has a special interest in diabetes tech and enjoys learning from others and troubleshooting.
Michael Boivin is a clinical pharmacist consultant, continuing education developer and president of CommPharm Consulting Inc. In 2009, he left full-time pharmacy practice to pursue a career in continuing education and consulting. He has developed more than 500 accredited continuing-education activities for pharmacists, family physicians, specialists and allied healthcare professionals.
Many patients with type 2 diabetes will require basal insulin at some point over the course of their disease to meet A1C targets. Some clinicians are hesitant to initiate basal insulin, putting patients at risk of diabetic complications. Basal insulin initiation can be done effectively in primary care; certified diabetes educators, pharmacists and nurses can play a key education and monitoring role. This session will provide participants with a practical approach to basal insulin initiation in primary care.
Upon successful completion of this continuing-education program, participants will be better able to:
1. Determine the differences in basal insulin options for the management of type 2 diabetes
2. Educate a patient on hypoglycemia identification and management
3. Review the importance of blood glucose monitoring and device accuracy on insulin titration
4. Counsel a patient on insulin injection with currently recommended tools
Cherylene Pinaroc is a diabetes and obesity nurse educator with more than nine years of experience. She is also a certified Insulin pump trainer, experienced speaker and presenter to healthcare professionals, physicians and patients. Cherylene currently works with endocrinologists, family doctors and cardiologists in numerous clinics in Montreal and Laval, Que. She is experienced in treating patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. She loves to expand her knowledge in diabetes and technologies, and attends numerous conferences globally.
Learn how to:
1. Illustrate how to address glycemic control in a virtual care environment
2. Advise patients using glucose monitoring technologies in self-management of their diabetes
3. Optimize the use of the ambulatory glucose profile and the time-in- range graph to make clinical decisions
Gail is a clinical nurse specialist and a certified diabetes educator with over 30 years of experience in a variety of clinical and educational settings. She is a passionate advocate for the highest quality of education and support for all people with diabetes and all health care professionals involved in diabetes care. Her publications and research interests focus on innovative care delivery methods and novel educational models. Gail has served on the past two Clinical Practice Guidelines committees (2013,2018) and been honoured with several awards including educator of the year and the Charles H Best award. She is the immediate past chair of the Diabetes Canada national conference and currently serves as an education consultant.
1. Understand the most common insulin injection technique errors found in a population of Canadians
2. Understand the implication of the most common injection technique error
3. Learn tips to help your patients improve their technique
4. Discover ways to provide ongoing support in a virtual setting
Dr. Halperin is a staff physician at Sunnybrook hospital and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. She completed her MD at the University of Western Ontario, and her internal medicine and endocrinology training as well as an MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the University of Toronto. As the Quality and Innovation lead for the division of endocrinology she leads a group of physicians committed to improving quality and safety for inpatients and outpatients with diabetes and other endocrine diseases. Dr. Halperin has a large practice working with many people with Type 1 diabetes and believes strongly in the potential for continuous glucose monitoring to improve diabetes-related outcomes and the experience of living with diabetes.
This practical and case-based session will focus on leveraging real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rt-CGM) technology and data management software for effective virtual Diabetes care. You will learn how to complete comprehensive assessments in a few minutes and design care plans that are both patient-centered and clinically meaningful.
Sarah McVicar is a territory manager in Nova Scotia, and has been with Medtronic for 12 years. Her background is in health promotion and she has graduated from Laurentian University in 1992. Her career spans over 25 years in pharmaceutical and medical sales. She has extended family members living with type 1 diabetes and works hard for her customers to ensure they receive the best care from her Medtronic team.
Join this session, hosted by Medtronic Canada, discussing advancements in diabetes technologies and the role of automation. We will explore the benefits of automating insulin delivery in order to improve clinical outcomes and maximize glycemic control while also helping to decrease the burden for people living with type 1 diabetes.
Alka Chopra is a Registered Dietitian & Certified Diabetes Educator with a wide range of experiences in diabetes, research, clinic, education and management. For the past 10 years, Alka has been actively involved in Chronic Disease Management via program planning, individual counselling and delivering professional training workshops. Alka is very passionate about healthcare communication and believes that the way health information is delivered is directly related to the success of our patients. Alka is actively involved in teaching groups, adult education, motivational interviewing & health literacy in the context of chronic disease management.
It is a well-known fact that low health literacy has a direct relationship with poor health outcomes. At the same time, relevant patient-focused interventions at the clinician-patient and community levels can significantly benefit these patients. This presentation will highlight the risks associated with disseminating health information in a language that patients are unable to understand. We’ll also discuss practical strategies centred around health literacy that can be integrated as part of routine health care to improve health outcomes.
Lori Berard has more than 30 years of experience in diabetes education, management and clinical research working as the nurse manager for the Health Sciences Centre Diabetes Research Program and as a faculty member at the University of Manitoba Department of Medicine Section of Endocrinology. Currently she is working as a consultant in diabetes management and clinical research operations. Lori has dedicated many years volunteering with Diabetes Canada and has extensive experience with the Clinical Practice Guidelines. She has received many honours and awards related to her work in diabetes.
The evidence generated in the world of diabetes through outcome trials, which were initially just about proving “safety,” have changed how we are using medications, originally designed to lower glucose. We are learning so much more. For instance, what is the evidence behind renal protection with new agents? In this presentation, the proposed mechanism of action will be introduced, key studies will be reviewed and information regarding who will benefit, how these medications can be used and safety considerations will be discussed.
Dr Kim is a general practitioner and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Calgary. He has a special interest in chronic disease, especially in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic migraine.
He graduated from a medical school in South Africa and has been working as a GP in Alberta since 2009, and also as an ER physician in rural Alberta. He completed a post-graduate diploma in diabetes in 2012. He works as a peer reviewer and editorial board member for numerous internationally recognized medical journals, including the Canadian Journal of Diabetes.
Within Diabetes Canada, his roles include steering committee member for the Clinical Practice Guidelines, and current co-chair of the Primary Care Special Interest Group. He has also been a scientific planning committee member for the annual Diabetes Canada/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM) Professional Conference. He is also heavily involved with respiratory medicine, and is a board member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Respiratory Medicine Committee, and Family Physician Airway Group of Canada. He is also an active food and restaurant blogger.
1. Review of Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and diagnostic considerations.
2. Discuss the management of BED as it relates to Diabesity (DM and Obesity)
Michael Boivin is a clinical pharmacist consultant, continuing education developer and president of CommPharm Consulting Inc. In 2009, he left full-time pharmacy practice to pursue a career in continuing education and consulting. He has developed in excess of 500 accredited continuing education activities for pharmacists, family physicians, specialists and allied healthcare professionals.
Cherylene Pinaroc is a Diabetes and Obesity Nurse Educator with over 9 years of experience. Certified Insulin Pump Trainer. Experienced speaker and presenting to HCPs, MDs and patients. Currently working in numerous clinics with Endocrinologists, Family Doctors and Cardiologists in Montreal and Laval. Experienced with treating patients with diabetes Type 1 and Type 2. I love to expand my knowledge in diabetes and technologies which allows me to attend numerous conferences globally.
Alka Chopra is a Registered Dietitian & Certified Diabetes Educator with a wide range of experiences in diabetes, research, clinic, education and management. For the past 10 years, Alka has been actively involved in Chronic Disease Management via program planning, individual counselling and delivering professional training workshops. Alka is very passionate about healthcare communication and believes that the way health information is delivered is directly related to the success of our patients. Alka is actively involved in teaching groups, adult education, motivational interviewing & health literacy in the context of chronic disease management.
Lori Berard has over 30 years of experience in diabetes education, management and clinical research working as the Nurse Manager for the Health Sciences Centre Diabetes Research Program and a Faculty Member at the University of Manitoba Department of Medicine Section of Endocrinology. Currently she is working as a consultant in diabetes management and clinical research operations. Lori has dedicated many years volunteering with Diabetes Canada and has extensive experience with the Clinical Practice Guidelines. She has received many honors and awards related to her work in diabetes.
Graduated from University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Nursing Degree and Crandall University with a Master in Organizational Management. She has been a Certified Diabetes Educator for 26yrs. Roxanne worked as a Coordinator of a Diabetes Education Clinic in Miramichi, New Brunswick. For the last 18 yrs she has worked as a Diabetes Clinical Specialist and Territory Manager with Medtronic throughout Atlantic Canada. Currently she is Territory Manager with Medtronic for New Brunswick and PEI. Roxanne lives in Miramichi, N.B with her husband where they have raised two wonderful young adults.
Dr Kim is a general practitioner working in Northeast of with special interest in chronic disease, especially in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic migraine. He is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Calgary.He has graduated from a medical school in South Africa and has been working as a GP in Alberta since 2009, and also as an ER physician in rural Alberta. He has completed post-graduate diploma in Diabetes in 2012. He works as a peer reviewer and editorial board for numerous internationally recognized medical journals including Canadian Journal of Diabetes.Within Diabetes Canada, his role includes steering committee member for the Clinical Practice Guideline, current co-chair of Primary Care Special Interest Group, and has been a scientific planning committee member for the Annual Diabetes Canada Conference.He is also heavily involved in respiratory medicine, being a board member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Respiratory Medicine committee and Family Physician Airway Group of Canada. Most importantly, he is an active food and restaurant blogger.
Dr. Ilana Halperin is a staff physician at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Halperin completed her MD at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., and her internal medicine and endocrinology training, as well as an MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the University of Toronto.
As the Quality and Innovation lead for the division of endocrinology, she leads a group of physicians committed to improving quality and safety for inpatients and outpatients with diabetes and other endocrine diseases.
Dr. Halperin has a large type 1 diabetes practice and believes strongly in the potential for continuous glucose monitoring to improve diabetes-related outcomes and the experience of living with diabetes.
The Canadian Diabetes Prevention Program is a personalized, wellness program that empowers you to lead a healthier life and reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. The 12-month program consists of regular telephonic interactions with a personal Health Coach, online education modules and health tracking to help you make small, incremental changes that improve your health and reduce your risk of developing type 2 Diabetes.
You will be provided with a personal Health Coach who will guide and motivate you throughout the program. For the first 3 months, you will have weekly telephonic sessions with your health coach to discuss what you’re learning and start making positive lifestyle changes. From months 4 to 12, you will have monthly telephonic sessions to ensure you stay on track. We will also be offering monthly workshops to help you reach your goals! The program is provided at no cost to participants.
Our program will help you live better and feel better with our one-on-one health coaching, tools and resources. We are enrolling participants across the country.
Diabetes Depot
JML Wealth Management
Lilly
Simcan
Abbott Nutrition
Egg Farmers of Canada
LifeScan
Novo Nordisk
TrialNet
Chartwell Retirement Residence
Foot Canada Training
LifeStyle Hearing
Pack 4 U
We Stretch
10 x Withings Go Activity Sleep trackers
Move More Your Life Depends on It by Amanda Sterczyk, MA, CPT
Sweat-Free Exercise for the Office by Amanda Sterczyk, MA, CPT
$50 Loblaws gift card
3 x $50 Rexall Gift Card
RN, MN, CDE
MPH, PDt, CDE
RPh, CDE CRE, Pharmacist Certified Fitter for Compression Stockings
MD, FRCPC, FACE, CCD, ECNU, DABIM, DABOM Endocrinologist
RD, Director, Healthcare Provider Education & Engagement
Disclaimer: “As a participant in this virtual conference, you hereby acknowledge and agree to the following terms: Diabetes Canada (DC) in no way sponsors or endorses the information shared or presented amongst presenters. Any products and or services presented are in no way promoted or endorsed by DC or its affiliates. Diabetes care and dietary recommendations are strictly for discussion purposes and a physician should be consulted to determine appropriate care tailored to your needs. Any information presented during this event should not be recorded or published, including shared on any social media platforms or any forum outside the virtual conference whatsoever. Sharing this information is prohibited and remains the intellectual property of Diabetes Canada and its affiliates”. DC reserves the right to vary any of the speakers, topics or times without further notice.
The Diabetes Frontline Forum virtual conference contains links to external websites that are not provided or maintained by or in any way affiliated with Diabetes Canada. Please note that Diabetes Canada does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. You agree that should you decide to use any links to any third party websites referenced or linked from the Diabetes Frontline Forum, you do so at your own risk. You further agree that your use of such third party website shall be subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policies of such third party websites
She is passionate about diabetes self-management education for people living with diabetes and the health care professionals providing care. Lynn has lived with Type 1 diabetes for more than 50 years.
I’ve spent most of my career in the Kootenays of British Columbia, but have returned to my Maritime roots and now live in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. I attended Acadia U for a Bachelor of Science and University of Waterloo for Masters of Public Health. I love thinking about food, talking about food and eating food. I have a special interest in Diabetes Tech and enjoy learning from others and troubleshooting.
Susie is a community pharmacist, Certified Diabetes Educator, Certified Fitter of Compression Therapy and Certified Respiratory Educator.
In addition to working in a busy community pharmacy, Susie has co-authored and supported the dissemination and implementation of Diabetes Canada Guidelines and Wounds Canada Best Practice Recommendations. Susie has practiced diabetes education in a variety of settings and enjoys collaborating and working together remotely with the person’s diabetes team.
In 2020, Susie was honoured with the Diabetes Canada Charles H. Best award and before COVID-19, she would enjoy travelling with friends and family to run marathons slowly all over the world.
Dr. Akshay Jain is the first Canadian physician to be triple board-certified by the American Boards in Endocrinology, Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. He trained in Internal Medicine at Rochester, New York, where he became the only 4- time winner of the prestigious Rochester Academy of Medicine Award. He completed his Fellowship in Endocrinology at Harbor UCLA in Los Angeles, California. He holds the distinction of being the youngest physician to sit on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He is the Past President of the Canadian Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He is the first North American physician to win the prestigious Etzwiler Diabetes Scholarship at the International Diabetes Center and Mayo Clinic in MN, USA. In 2017, he was awarded the Rising Star of Diabetes Award at the International Symposium on Diabetes.
In 2020, he became the only non-American physician to feature on Medscape’s list of 25 Top Rising Stars of Medicine. He is fluent in 6 languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari and Urdu. He is a renowned educator and has spoken at over 700 medical conferences/events across the world till date. His clinical interests include diabetes, obesity, thyroid disorders and osteoporosis.
Joanne Lewis is a registered dietitian and Director of Healthcare Provider Education and Engagement at Diabetes Canada where she has worked for more than seven years to help Canadians receive the best information possible. She is involved in developing resources and programs related to diabetes care and management, as well as the dissemination of the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines. Joanne has several years’ experience practising as a registered dietitian in diabetes clinical settings where she worked closely with patients and their families in managing their diabetes.
Diabetes Canada has contracted vFairs to manage registrations for this virtual conference. vFairs is committed to constantly ensuring the use of the latest state-of-the-art technology and procedures at its disposal to guarantee the security of the data hosted. vFairs will comply with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Model Code and will not use or disclose any person information or data otherwise than in strict accordance with the code.
Erica Sigurdson is a Canadian comedian, writer, producer, and haberdasher. Sigurdson has Icelandic ancestry. She is a two-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee, a Leo Award-winning comedy writer and is regularly featured on CBC Radio’s smash hit The Debaters. She has been performing stand-up across Canada for ten years, has travelled to Afghanistan to entertain the troops and was a semi-finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition. She is a nine-time repeat guest on the Maximum Fun show Stop Podcasting Yourself.
Kimberley Hanson is Executive Director of Federal Affairs at Diabetes Canada, responsible for advocacy with the federal government and on national issues. She also leads the Diabetes 360˚ initiative to implement a nation-wide strategy to address the diabetes epidemic.
Having lived with diabetes for nearly 25 years, Kim is passionate about helping others live well with the disease while also working towards a cure. Over the past 15 years, Kim and her family have raised more than $1 million for research into a cure for diabetes and for supports for adults living with type 1 diabetes. Prior to joining Diabetes Canada, Kim held various senior management positions in Communications, Business Development and Human Resources at Payments Canada and Export Development Canada.
Kimberley Hanson Presentation Overview: Living with diabetes can be very expensive. Come learn what government programs may be available to you to help defray the costs, and find out how Diabetes Canada is working to ensure that all Canadians with T1D have access to the care, medications and devices they need to live without limits!
Lorraine is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She has had the privilege of presenting workshops across Canada to both health care professionals and people who live with type 1 diabetes. Her primary area of interest is to support people in using diabetes technology to optimize management and minimize the daily burden of life with type 1.
When not at work, she is a busy mom and stepmom to six young adults and two golden retrievers. Lorraine celebrated her 32 year “diaversary” in March of last year and understands firsthand the ups and downs of daily life with diabetes.
Michelle Sorensen, founder of the Ottawa South Resiliency Clinic, is a registered clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience providing counselling and psychological services for a wide range of personal problems. These include anxiety and depression, interpersonal issues (both personal and professional), life transitions, and coping with chronic illness. She provides therapy for adults aged 18 and over, including seniors. She is also very involved in the diabetes community across Canada and works with clients struggling with the psychological impact of living with diabetes.
Michelle has been registered with the Ontario College of Psychologists since 2006, first as a Psychological Associate and now as a Psychologist. Michelle is also a member of the Ontario Psychological Association.
Dr. Vallis is a registered health psychologist based in Halifax, Canada. He is a Health Behaviour Change Consultant and Associate Professor in Family Medicine at Dalhousie University. His main area of expertise is adult health psychology, with an emphasis on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and gastroenterology.
He spends most of his time training healthcare providers in behaviour change for chronic disease management. He regularly supervises clinical and academic students at Dalhousie and is active in research on motivation, behavioural change and adaptation to chronic disease. He consults nationally as well as internationally and is heavily involved in academic publications, journal editing, and clinical practice guidelines (2020 and 2006 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity and 2018, 2013, 2004 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines).
Mark Woolley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12. His parents, Steve and Tracy, had already been exposed to the symptoms through their middle son, Matt, who was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at birth.
At the time of diagnosis, hockey had already become a significant part of Mark’s life, giving the 2001-born defenceman a strong fear that the athletic life he had become accustomed to, would be taken away.
It didn’t take long, however, for Mark to learn that if he could manage diabetes properly, and take care of his health, it wouldn’t be a factor and he could still play the game that he loves. Learning to live with diabetes didn’t come without its trials, though.
Now, as a defenceman for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Owen Sound Attack, Mark has the goal to not only raise awareness around diabetes, but to send kids to Diabetes Canada D-Camps, hoping to give them the same opportunity to learn how to live their lives with diabetes, while still living the life that they love.
Dr. Tom Elliott obtained his medical degree (MBBS) in 1982 from the University of Queensland, Australia. In 1985, he moved to Canada, where he completed his core specialist internal medicine training at the University of British Columbia (UBC). From 1989 to 1991, Dr. Elliott took advanced training in diabetes at the University of London, UK. In 1991, he obtained sub specialist certification in Endocrinology & Metabolism (including diabetes) from the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC).
Since 1992, Dr. Elliott has been a faculty member at UBC, where his current rank is Clinical Associate Professor. He was Co-Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the UBC Division of Endocrinology from 1992 to 2012, and chaired the Endocrinology & Metabolism Society of BC, the professional body representing all BC endocrinologists and diabetes specialists, from 2008 to 2012.
Since 1992, Dr. Elliott has been on the active medical staff at Vancouver General Hospital, as well as conducting a busy private office practice in Endocrinology & Diabetology. Dr. Elliott is Director of Clinical Trials at BC Diabetes. He has authored more than 60 scientific papers and is actively engaged in 15 ongoing research projects.
Dr. Cheng is a member of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed medical school, internal medicine and Endocrinology training at the University of Toronto and has completed the Master Teacher Program offered through the Department of Medicine.
She has served on the Expert Committee for the 2003 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines, the Steering and Expert Committees for the 2008 revision and served as Chair of the 2013 Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines. She is currently the Chair of the Professional Section of Diabetes Canada and an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. She is Past-Chair of the Guidelines Committee for the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
She has received a Certificate of Recognition from the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada in recognition of her contributions.
Dr Cheng Presentation Overview: Learn more about the relationship between diabetes and sex as Dr. Alice Cheng discusses various ways diabetes can affect your sexual health.
Kate Farnsworth is the patient partner co-lead for the Innovations in Type-1 Diabetes Program. Kate has been heavily involved in the Do-It-Yourself #wearenotwaiting movement since her daughter Sydney was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 8. With a background in information technology and graphic design, Kate has lent her skillset to developing diabetes watch faces for remote monitoring used by patients worldwide.
Kate has created an online patient-driven support community for people who are exploring DIY closed-loop solutions and continues to advocate for all people with diabetes to have access to the best tools to manage their diabetes.
Dr. Wharton has his doctorate in Pharmacy and Medicine. He is the medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a community based internal medicine weight management and diabetes clinic. He is an adjunct professor at McMaster University in Hamilton and York University in Toronto. He also works as an internist at Women’s College Hospital, and the Hamilton Health Sciences. Dr. Wharton is a researcher and is qualified as a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Dr. Wharton’s research focuses on bariatric medicine and type 2 diabetes. He is the lead author of the weight management section of the 2013 and 2018 Canadian Diabetes Guidelines, and co-chair of the 2018 Canadian Obesity Guidelines.
Dr. McGavock’s research program is focused the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in youth, with a particular focus on physical activity. My research program is has three distinct pillars designed to span the spectrum of mechanistic human physiology studies to community-based participatory action research.
Dr. McGavock is an associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. He is currently the co-leader of the DREAM Theme at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Dr. McGavock held a CIHR New Investigator Salary Award from 2010-2014 and currently holds a CIHR Applied Health Chair in Obesity and Resilience in Indigenous Youth.
Dr. McGavock's formal training is in Kinesiology completing a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education at the University of Manitoba (1997), a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology at McGill University (1999) and a PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Alberta(2003). Following his doctoral degree he completed a CIHR-funded post-doctoral fellowship within the Albert-based STIHR training program TORCH (2003-2004) and a Heart and Stroke Foundation/CIHR Target Obesity Fellowship in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology with Drs Benjamin Levine and Ron Victor UT Southwestern Medical Centre (2004-2006).
Dr Delilah Topic Bio: I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 14, in 1993. I have pursued high level athletics and academics since my diagnosis. I received a Hon.Bsc. in Human Biology at the University of Toronto in 2002 and went on to receive my medical degree from U of T in 2006, graduating top 6% in my class. I then completed both a residency in Internal Medicine (2009) and a fellowship in Medical Oncology (2011). Finally, I completed an additional fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital (2012) to gain more expertise in Breast and GI cancers.
Currently, I practice as a Medical Oncologist in Kelowna, and am the provincial lead of multiple-choice exams for the undergraduate medical program. My other passion is competitive running, and I have represented Canada numerous times, highlighted by three medals at the World Masters Games (2013, 2017), and a top six finish at the World Masters Track and Field Championships (2016). Currently, I am looking forward to competing in the World Masters Games in Japan in 2021.
Despite its challenges, living with Type 1 Diabetes does not have to limit your dreams, goals, and accomplishments!
Dr. Delilah Topic Presentation Overview: I look forward to sharing my journey with T1D with you! As a competitive runner, medical oncologist, and professor, I have proven that there are no limits to T1D. However, my journey was not without its challenges! I hope to provide some inspiration and tips on how to thrive and succeed despite living with a challenging disease.
Bruce A Perkins, MD MPH is Professor, Endocrinologist and Diabetes Complications Clinician-Scientist at the University of Toronto appointed to the Faculty of Medicine and to the Institute of Health, Policy, Management and Evaluation. He holds the Sam and Judy Pencer Family Chair in Diabetes Clinical Research. He obtained his MD and Internal Medicine training at the University of Toronto, his endocrinology subspecialty training at Harvard University, his Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a research fellowship in epidemiology at the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Using longitudinal cohort methods as well as clinical trials, his research work has focused on 1) Early biomarkers of diabetes complications, and 2) Interventions for prevention of complications, including artificial pancreas technologies and adjunct drug therapies added to insulin.
In 2015 he was awarded the Canadian Diabetes Association/CIHR Young Scientist Award for his research. Among other projects, he co-leads an Innovations in type 1 Diabetes group within Diabetes Action Canada, a national patient-oriented research strategy.
Dr Perkins Presentation Overview: This talk will focus on the our current efforts to use technology in type 1 diabetes practice - key knowledge around glucose sensors, insulin pumps, automated insulin delivery algorithms - and how we can better make use of them individually and advocate for better access.
At Canola Eat Well we love healthy food! We want to encourage you and your clients to be inspired to cook and bake in your kitchens with the best and the healthiest ingredients. Everyone needs some fat in their diet for good health. Fat supplies energy, carries flavours and helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Did you know that canola oil isn’t just versatile and economical, but has the least saturated fat of all common cooking oils – half that of olive oil. Canola oil is free of trans fat and a good source of plant-based omega-3 fat and vitamin E. At Canola Eat Well we also love to share stories about our farmers, their farms, and what they do to grow food for our tables.
For further information, please visit www.canolaeatwell.com
Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes.
Home to the world-renowned CONTOUR® portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that help people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity.
For further information, please visit the Ascensia Diabetes Care website at: http://www.ascensia.com
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Eli Lilly Canada is pleased to announce the availability of Baqsimi® (glucagon nasal powder 3 mg), a new rescue treatment for severe hypoglycemia. Baqsimi® was approved by Health Canada with ethical status, making it available at the pharmacy with or without a prescription. Baqsimi® is a compact nasal spray that is portable and does not require reconstitution. It is now widely available in pharmacies across Canada.
Baqsimi® is indicated for the treatment of severe hypoglycemic reactions when impaired consciousness precludes oral carbohydrates, which may occur in the management of insulin-treated patients with diabetes mellitus, whether Type 1 or Type 2.
Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people’s needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to people who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.
At Janssen, we’re creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We’re the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Chez Janssen, nous bâtissons un avenir où la maladie fait partie du passé. Nous sommes Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, œuvrant sans relâche afin que ce futur devienne une réalité pour les patients partout dans le monde en luttant contre la maladie à l’aide de la science, en améliorant l’accès à force d’ingéniosité et en sauvant du désespoir avec cœur. Nous concentrons nos efforts sur les domaines de la médecine où nous pouvons améliorer le plus la vie des patients: maladie
Mednow is a national virtual health services provider. Leading with a virtual on-demand pharmacy offering, Mednow uses its central fulfillment centers to quickly and safely deliver essential medication and other pharmacy products to Canadian homes and businesses from coast-to-coast.
Its digital platform acts as a powerful patient data aggregation tool connecting to pharmacy management systems, electronic medical record software, and user-reported data. This enables Mednow to have a holistic view of each and every one of its patients to best care for them.
Mednow has strived to build a complete ecosystem of health services around its full-service pharmacy including telemedicine, remote patient monitoring and home health care. This enables its customers to deal with a single point of contact who acts as an advocate and navigator for their health needs.
Mednow’s therapeutic focus on Diabetes Care comes from its mission statement of “We’re about People, not Pills”, and the belief that to truly care for a pharmacy patient, our pharmacists must have a holistic understanding of a patient’s care journey. For Diabetes, this includes more than just medication and it includes the management of various lifestyle adjustments such as diet and exercise which’s much more workable with our holistic offering. Furthermore, our ability to standardize an offering across Canada ensures all of our patients consistently get the care that they need and deserve.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com
