Diabetes can impact different aspects of a patient's health. Because each patient has a unique set of needs related to diabetes care, Vanderbilt Diabetes brings together a team of specialists to assist in your care. At Vanderbilt, there is a full range of services, including:

• endocrinology. Endocrinologists are your main resource for diabetes treatment, and they coordinate the other specialists.
• nurse pracitioners. These are advanced practice nurses who help manage diabetes by performing physican examinations and health assessments. They can also prescribe medications. Certified diabetes educators, our nurse practitioners work with the entire diabetes team to develop education and self-management plans for patients and their families.
• dietitians. Our dietitians offer individual counseling and teach group education classes in order to address weight control and help patients modify their food choices.
• cardiologists. Because heart disease is a common complication of diabetes, it's important to have cardiologists on the team. In addition to assessing how healthy a patient's heart is, they can treat problems such as artery blockage.
• ophthalmologists. Diabetes can also cause complications in the eyes. Ophthalmologists treat eye-related conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy.
• podiatrists. Some diabetic patients experience foot problems. Podiatrists can arrange the wide array of foot-related complications that diabetics may face.
• lipidologists. It is important that diabetic patients understand cholesterol and its management. This education is critical since heart disease is the most serious complication of diabetes.
• high-risk obstetricians. Some women have diabetes when pregnant and others develop it during pregnancy. High-risk obstetricians ensure that these patients receive the specialized care they need.
• social workers. Adjusting to a diabetes diagnosis and coping with managing the disease can be stressful. Social workers help patients and their families adjust to life with diabetes. They also lead support groups and diabetes education.
• child life specialists. Using a variety of activities, child life specialists help children, teens, and their families understand and cope with diabetes.