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Dr. Cyrus Desouza, MBBS, gives us some insight into how to promote better care and lifestyle changes in our patients. Improving patient participation and encouraging them to care for their own disease is key. Peer support has been known to improve diabetes patients’ health as well as group clinics, peer counseling, and having diabetes patients act as champions for each other. Another source for patient health improvement are various outreach programs including those at farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Most grocery stores now employ full-time dietians who can give patients a tour of their local grocery store even including practical demonstrations. Dr. Desouza stresses that there are a finite number of educators, doctors, and nurses while the numbers of diabetes patients keeps increasing. Empowering patients to advocate for themselves is going to be critical….
Dr. Desouza is currently Professor and Chief of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also the Director of the Diabetes and Obesity Program for the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Healthcare System (NWIHCS). He is a board-certified clinical endocrinologist with research interests related to cardiovascular disease in insulin resistance and diabetes and improving outcomes in diabetes and obesity.
Dr. Desouza received his medical degree from St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, India. He completed a rotating internship at St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, India, senior house officer, internal medicine, Nair Hospital, Topiwala National Medical College, Bombay, India, residency, internal medicine, St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, New York, and a fellowship in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dr. Desouza is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Diabetes Association, American College of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Endocrine Society, and American College of Physicians. He currently serves on the National Professional Practice Committee of the American Diabetes Association. He is also an editorial advisor for the Diabetes and Endocrinology Editorial Advisory Board for WebMD, LLC. He is a member of the editorial board for Diabetes Care as well as the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications. He is also a reviewer for the Journal of Endocrine Practice, Diabetes Care, JCEM, Nature Reviews, Endocrinology, Translation Research, and Clinical Chemistry.
Dr. Desouza has authored and co-authored several articles in major journals and presented at national meetings. He is the PI for several grants including a VA Merit Review grant looking at glycemic control. He is a site PI and an ancillary study committee member for a large NIH study: The Glycemic Reduction Approaches for Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE) which is a national study comparing current medications and protocols used in diabetes treatment for an overall assessment of what is more effective. He is also the Vice Chair of the ancillary studies committee in a large NIH trial using Vitamin D to prevent type 2 diabetes (D2d) in people with pre-diabetes.