Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Isaac Sachmechi, MD, Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Internal Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens

Transcript

Isaac Sachmechi, MD, Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Internal Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

• 0:00
  This is Laura Dierda with the Becker's Healthcare
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  podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by
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  doctor Isaac Sachemetchi,
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  who is a physician in endocrinology,
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  diabetes, and metabolism,
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  at NYC Health and Hospitals Queens. Doctor Sachemes,
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  it's a pleasure to have you on the
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  podcast today.
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  Thank you for inviting me.
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  Absolutely. Now I know we've got a lot
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  to talk about November being,
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  diabetes awareness month. And so I'm wondering, can
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  you tell us a little bit more about
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  your program at NYC Health and Hospitals and
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  some of the cool things that you're doing
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  there to really,
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  meet the needs of your patient population, especially
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  those with diabetes?
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  Excellent.
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  Okay. So
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  we have diabetes center of excellence, and I'm
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  the director of diabetes center of excellence.
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  We are recognized by American Diabetes Association,
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  and we are going to most likely apply
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  for pre recognition,
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  by July
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  2026.
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  We have the most diverse
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  diabetic population in the Queens area,
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  and the highest rate of
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  prevalence of diabetes in Queens is about thirteen
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  percent,
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  more than even the New York City area.
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  And the most diverse ethnic group of population
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  of diabetic,
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  You see,
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  about, I would say, eighty percent of this
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  diabetic are either overweight
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  or,
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  obese.
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  So we not only treat the diabetes, but
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  treat the obesity.
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  We try to use
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  the best modalities of therapy that available currently
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  in the market
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  for management of diabetes.
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  We in the diabetes center of excellence, we
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  have a nutritionist.
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  We have diabetes
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  educator.
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  We have a team of,
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  four, four physician
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  and,
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  two nurse practitioners,
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  nutritionist, diabetes
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  educator.
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  We are very
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  adjacent
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  in,
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  localization
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  of the diabetes center is adjacent to
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  to the ophthalmology
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  clinic that we can refer the patient for
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  retinal exam that is essential
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  to for the diagnosis of diabetic
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  eye disease.
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  We have podiatrist
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  that that running clinic
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  in the diabetes,
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  clinic
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  and, seeing
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  different
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  problem of wound care and
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  podiatric
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  problem that is common in
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  diabetic patient.
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  We
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  have classes for diabetes
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  education
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  at the diabetes center.
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  And, we try to also,
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  to get the best,
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  modalities
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  of,
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  measuring blood sugar, like continuous glucose monitoring
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  to the patient that we can provide if
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  their,
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  insurance
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  cover that,
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  to get a better glycemic control in those
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  patient.
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  Not only diabetes care is important, but,
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  also the complication of diabetes, like hypertension,
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  hyperlipidemia.
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  So when we see diabetic patient,
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  we address,
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  both glycemic control, the blood pressure,
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  the the dyslipidemia
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  that they have, and,
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  address all those problem with appropriate management.
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  A really excellent team of physician,
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  that really they have a big knowledge of
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  diabetes care.
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  We have the diabetes,
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  nutritionist, diabetes educator
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  that they are excellent in in teaching and
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  giving a nutritionist
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  advice to this patient.
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  And,
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  also to nurse practitioners
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  that working with me for several years,
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  and,
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  one of them became actually also certified diabetes
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  educator
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  that help our diabetes educator
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  that currently working with us.
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  So I think it's one of the center
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  of excellence in Queens area that recognized by
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  American Diabetes Association.
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  Oh, that's really impressive to hear and amazing
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  that you've got such talent on your team
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  there, especially to serve an important patient population.
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  And given,
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  the rates of obesity
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  and diabetes that you mentioned already within the
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  community,
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  it seems like an extremely needed service.
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  Now
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  Yeah. I have to mention also
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  that we have a clinical research unit
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  in the diabetes center of excellence at,
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  health and hospital Queens. I have a clinical
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  research coordinator
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  and few volunteers
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  that helping her, and we are running
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  phase three, phase four clinical studies
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  that's sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. So patient that
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  attend our diabetes clinic also,
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  they have the option
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  to participate,
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  in those studies. Some of them is a
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  management of weight, but an obesity study with
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  or post
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  bariatric surgery, hypoglycemia
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  that we are running now.
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  We do other studies in management of diabetes
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  also.
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  And patient can really participate in those,
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  clinical studies.
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  That's great to hear. And, having such an
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  eye on innovation in the clinical studies I
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  know push the field forward in a a
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  meaningful way. I'm curious,
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  when you look at the different research that's
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  been do done as well as, the achievements
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  and accomplishments that you've,
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  gotten in recognition
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  for the diabetes center, What makes it really
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  special and unique? What are some of the
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  elements you've been able to build over time
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  that truly,
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  ensure you're giving the best quality care to
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  patients possible and you can achieve these types
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  of recognitions?
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  Yes. So they're putting together
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  really the ancillary services that we need
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  for management of diabetic patient,
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  having the diabetes center of excellence
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  that has nutritionist,
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  test diabetes educator,
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  and providers
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  that they are knowledgeable in management of diabetes,
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  I think made us
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  one of the center of excellence. Actually, I
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  did a study
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  that we collected data about,
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  you know, intervention
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  of patient in diabetes center compared to
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  medical clinic, and we
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  we compare our outcome data to Joslin clinic
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  that is one of the best
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  diabetes center of excellence. And we shout that,
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  actually,
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  we are very, very,
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  comparable to Joslin clinic in term of achieving
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  data,
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  a one c reduction,
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  and improving quality of care of patient.
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  And that's great to hear. And it's certainly,
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  awesome that you're able to put all that
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  together to have those ancillary services and be
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  able to manage patients,
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  in in a meaningful way. I'm curious. When
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  you look into the future, what are you
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  most excited about? What's coming down the pipe
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  that could really be a a continued differentiator
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  for the care of diabetic patients? You see,
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  having having,
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  continuous glucose monitoring
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  that help us to get a better control
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  of diabetes.
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  And, you know, the future is coming with
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  these all these,
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  insulin pumps,
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  the autonomous,
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  insulin delivery system
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  that will really help us to
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  really,
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  better take care of patient with,
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  diabetes who requiring insulin.
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  That's, fantastic.
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  In the pipeline
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  of medication, there are
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  other medication that
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  will most likely will be approved in close
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  future, 2006,
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  2007,
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  that,
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  making combination of,
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  hormones like GLP one, GIP,
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  amylin,
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  and glucagon
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  that, they are promising in term of getting
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  better reduction,
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  of weight in this,
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  diabetic population,
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  especially the type two that they are overweight
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  or obese.
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  And I think this is exciting future for,
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  diabetes management.
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  And that's great to hear. Now, from your
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  perspective, is there anything you would like to
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  share with other physicians or health care professionals,
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  especially,
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  knowing this is diabetes month, how they can
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  think about,
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  you know, what's happening in this space and
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  what they need to do in order to
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  make sure that patients with their in their
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  own communities are really getting the best level
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  of care possible?
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  Yes. I think we should we should really
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  have
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  a a system
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  educating the patient,
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  about diabetes and its complication,
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  educating patient that they are overweight and obese,
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  that weight management
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  is one of the essential,
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  part of the management of diabetes.
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  Because,
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  when you achieve weight loss, you improve insulin
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  sensitivity,
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  improve glycemic control.
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  And in addition, you improve
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  the,
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  blood pressure,
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  control and and,
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  lipid control in this patient.
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  So I think it's
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  very, very important to put the patient in
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  the center
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  of the therapy
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  and provide them the tools
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  that they can use really to achieve these
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  goals.
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  Absolutely. That's very well said.
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  Well, thank you so much for your time
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  today. This has been really, such a fascinating
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  conversation.
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  I appreciate it, doctor Sachemeji, and I look
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  forward to connecting with you again soon. Thank
• 10:20
  you. Thank you very much for your time.