Published: January 15, 2025
Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute, a part of Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s, today announced the creation of the Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute Perinatal Program. The program is the first of its kind in Louisville and Southern Indiana, and will expand services available to women with diabetes who wish to have children — something that requires specialized care.
In the United States, 1% to 2% of pregnant women have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes — an increase of 37% between 2000 and 2010. Gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy, affects between 5% and 9% of women, which is an increase of 56%. In Kentucky, nearly 10% of pregnancies are complicated by diabetes.
The Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute Perinatal Program will be integrated within the Norton Children’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine Perinatal Center, leveraging expertise in managing complex pregnancies.
“Diabetes poses many risks to both the expectant mother as well as the baby,” said Kristine Y. Lain, M.D., maternal-fetal medicine specialist and medical director of Norton Children’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “Our program will provide services for family planning, pregnancy care and postpartum care to give families the resources they need for the healthiest pregnancies and beyond.”
The Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute Perinatal Program is made possible thanks to $623,000 in funding through the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation. It will build on services already offered to patients with diabetes, adding a focus on health living, including pre-pregnancy counseling, pregnancy monitoring and education, care planning, and coordination of care with maternal-fetal medicine specialists, primary care providers, endocrinologists and Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute educators. It also will prioritize health equity, health care provider education and research related to the care of patients with diabetes who are pregnant.
“Adding special resources to help pregnant patients manage their disease — whether they are living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or developed gestational diabetes — is key to helping patients have healthy pregnancies and live long, active, healthy lives,” said Kupper A. Wintergerst, M.D., Wendy L. Novak Endowed Chair of Pediatric Diabetes Care and Clinical Research, and pediatric endocrinologist with Norton Children’s Endocrinology.
“Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute is quickly working to become the premier national location for the treatment, education and research of diabetes,” said Lynnie Meyer, R.N., Ed.D., FAHP, CFRE, senior vice president and chief development officer, Norton Healthcare. “This new program will bring yet another level of care that patients need. It’s part of our plans to continue expanding diabetes services. We appreciate the Novak family and the community for getting behind this institute.”
Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute services are offered in both adult and pediatric inpatient and outpatient settings. Norton Children’s Hospital is recognized as having one of the nation’s top diabetes and endocrinology programs. The hospital is listed 14th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 rankings for pediatric diabetes and endocrinology, fueled by funding from the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation.
The Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation was established in 1999 through a charitable trust by David and Wendy Novak. It funds innovative, high-impact projects that are led by passionate leaders committed to outstanding execution. It first gave $5 million to the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation in March 2013 to establish Wendy Novak Diabetes Center as part of a $12 million initiative to create a comprehensive diabetes care center offering education and treatment for Type 1 diabetes to thousands of children and young adults. A gift of $15 million in 2022 elevated the program to Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute with a goal to become a national center of excellence by expanding diabetes care services across the region, while helping children and adults with diabetes manage their condition. This includes a program that facilitates the transition from pediatric to adult care.
Patients needing care by specialists who are part of the Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute Perinatal Program should speak with their obstetrician/gynecologist provider for a referral.
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