USC Westside Center for Diabetes


	The goal of our centers is to provide you with both basic and advanced information on treating your diabetes. Use all of the resources we connect you with—the staff of our centers, the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Association, the Internet, and your pharmacist to learn more about your diabetes. In addition to treating patients with diabetes, we also treat diseases of the endocrine system, such as disorders of the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary as well as lipid disorders. We also are affiliated with a network of providers who offer care from ophthalmology to podiatry to internal medicine to treatment of cardiovascular disease. Below is a complete list of services we offer at one or all of our centers: Prevention: We can assess your risk for getting diabetes and help you prevent diabetes from ever happening if you are at risk. Blood Drawing: We have experts at drawing your blood and processing specimens on-site. We perform immediate HbA1c testing, so you will have the results within 6 minutes, allowing your health care provider to more efficiently guide your diabetes management. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment: Heart disease is the number one killer of patients with diabetes. At our Centers we aggressively evaluate your cardiac risk factors, and treat you to lower your risk and reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Computerized Data Evaluation: We can download most meters into our computer to generate a print out such that we can analyze your blood glucose patterns. Of course we also encourage you to log your blood glucose results in your log book. Continuous Glucose Monitoring: This is a new technique for continuous glucose monitoring. A small sensor is inserted under the skin and data is recorded for three days into a small box. This data is then analysed to determine trends in glucose levels (highs and lows). We use this technique to guide you to improve your diabetes care. Dermatology: Dr. Saucer is one of the leading dermatologists in Los Angeles. He is available both at the USC Health Sciences Campus as well as at the Westside Practice to treat a wide range of adult and pediatric dermatologic conditions. Endocrine Evaluations: Patients with diagnosed or undiagnosed endocrine disorders can come to the Centers to be evaluated for any hormonal abnormalities. This includes measurement of hormone levels as well as tests to see if the hormones respond normally to a variety of stimuli. If necessary, patients can be referred for imaging studies to further localize the problem. Treatment is based on the test findings. Insulin Pump Therapy: For some individuals with diabetes, insulin pump therapy is the most effective method for giving insulin. It is not for everyone, since it requires dealing with the pump and monitoring blood sugar levels frequently. However, in many cases patients who want to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range find that the pump works best for them. We have many years of experience in using insulin pumps and our team of patients nurse educators will work closely with you if this is the right treatment for you. Intensive Insulin Management: Patients with type 1 and sometimes type 2 diabetes on insulin injections benefit from managing their diabetes very intensively. This can either be done through insulin injections or the insulin pump. The theory is that the insulin should be given to mimic the insulin secretion of a nondiabetic pancreas. So patients are given some sort of basal (long acting) insulin and then give small doses of rapid acting insulin (bolus doses) before each meal. Learning carbohydrate counting is central to this approach, since it makes it possible to give the correct insulin dose before the meal. At first it may take a while to get used to giving insulin in this manner, but after a while it becomes second nature. Moreover, it is the best way to keep the blood sugar levels in the normal range for many patients taking insulin. Intensive Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance: Our staff is trained to use the newest nutritional, lifestyle and medical therapies to effectively treat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, we use the newest laboratory techniques to evaluate and subsequently lower your diabetic and cardiovascular risk factors. Internal Medicine: Internal medicine services are provided at both centers to ensure comprehensive medical care for all patients. Alternatively, we will work closely with your own internist or primary care provider to keep them up to date on your diabetes and/or endocrine management. Medical Assessment: We have physicians, including internists, endocrinologists, and pediatricians, who can provide a comprehensive medical assessment and treatment plan for your ongoing care. Medical Nutrition Therapy: Patients with diabetes, lipid disorders and heart disease should have nutrition as a cornerstone for their treatment. At both sites we have well trained dietitians who can help you make food choices that fit with your preferences yet work to help control your medical condition. For those who wish to lose weight we can work with you on weight loss and exercise to help you reach your goals. Pediatrics: Drs. Kaiserman and Geffner see patients at LA Children's Hospital as well as at the USC Westside Practice for Diabetes. Infants and children with diabetes as well as disorders of growth and development can be evaluated. A full range of pediatric endocrine evaluations can be performed and disorders treated. Referrals for: Ophthalmology Podiatry Vascular Surgery Cardiology Gastroenterology Urology Nephrology Other specialists Screening: We offer screening to determine whether or not you have diabetes and also to estimate your risk of developing diabetes in the future if diabetes runs in your family. We offer a complete roster of sophisticated laboratory testing. You will be given a copy of your results, which will be carefully explained to you. We will be able to guide you with regards to follow up and treatment, as necessary.
	Photos By Mark Harmel ©2001/2002 USC. All Rights Reserved

- Westside Team
- Downtown Team
- Eastside Team

- Westside Center
- Downtown Center
- Eastside Center