Diabetes health educators, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals are invited to the”Bridging the Gap with Education: Diabetes Symposium and Workshop 2001”Oct. 25_26 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston. The West Virginia University Extension Service and the West Virginia Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences are co-sponsoring the event.

The national conference explores the opportunities and challenges related to providing education and support to those individuals with diabetes and their families. Continuing education units are available for most health professionals.

The event will include presentations on obesity and Type 2 Diabetes; the impact of culture on health and wellness; troubleshooting diabetes-related medical hardware; and the benefits of exercise related to diabetes management.

One of the featured events is”Cooking with the Diabetic Chef”led by Chris Smith, executive chef at North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The symposium’s first day features four prominent diabetes experts from across the country who will discuss some of the problems associated with the disease:

• Marion Franz, R.D., C.D.E., is president of Nutrition Concepts by Franz Inc. based in Minneapolis, Minn. She is the co_chair of a task force to update the American Diabetes Association’s position and technical review documentation on nutrition principles. She was the director of Nutrition and Health Professional Education at the International Diabetes Center for more than 20 years.

• Lori Lambert, R.D., C.D.E., is a renal dietitian for DCI Inc. in Boston, Mass. She is the chairperson for the National Kidney Foundation’s Council on Renal Nutrition. She has presented at several conferences including at the 10th International Congress of the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism in Lyon, France.

• Gloria Boseman, Ph.D., R.N., is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Nursing at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, N.J. She serves as a consultant to several local and state associations. She has more than 25 years experience in delivering health care to the underrepresented and underserved communities. She has worked to educate people using a holistic perspective that stimulates their mind, body, and spirit.

• Karen Chalmers, R.D., C.D.E., is director of nutrition services and coordinator of the Joslin Diabetes Center’s Insulin Pump Program in Boston, Mass. She co-authored”16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet,”which was published by the American Diabetes Association. Chalmers is also the moderator of the Joslin Center’s nutrition discussion group, which has covered topics including meal planning, insulin pumps, supplements, and weight issues. The site has received more than 1 million hits in its first 18 months.

• Susan Barlow, R.D., C.D.E., is a medical scientific liaison with Amylin Pharmaceuticals in Indianapolis, Ind. She has experienced the effects of this disease since being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes more than 30 years ago. Barlow has spoken to professional and non-professional groups on various diabetes-related topics. She had a radio spot on nutrition tips on WWWE -AM in Cleveland for five years. She has served as president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

The conference’s second day features concurrent sessions on”Implementing Advanced Carbohydrate Counting”and”Are You on the Road to Living Well with Diabetes.”

For more information or to register, contact Dr. Guen Brown at (304) 293-2694, ext. 3424, or visit the conference’s Web site athttp://www.ext.wvu.edu/dsw2001/