Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston establishes first affiliate in Canada

BOSTON-October 19, 2006-Joslin Diabetes Center, the global leader in diabetes research, care and education, has announced its partnership with Acadie-Bathurst Health Authority (ABHA) in New Brunswick, Canada. The new affiliate, which is located at Chaleur Regional Hospital, is Joslin's first Canadian Affiliate.

The new Joslin Affiliate is an Education Affiliate, so all of Joslin's premier education programs and services are shared with the institution. This will complement the endocrine services offered by Dr. Farrukh Khan a board-certified endocrinologist who serves as medical director.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the establishment of a Joslin Diabetes Center Education Affiliate right here in Bathurst is a major coup for residents of the region and the entire population of New Brunswick," stated Gabriel Godin, chair of the ABHA board of trustees.

"According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than 5.4 percent of the people in New Brunswick have diabetes, and as many as one-third of the population has diabetes but don't know they have the disease," said Judith Eyres Goodwin, director of Joslin's Affiliated Centers Program. "We look forward to working with the professionals at Chaleur Regional Hospital to bring Joslin's integrated, state-of-the-art education programs and services to people with diabetes and related conditions in the region."

"Our staff have received training from Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston to ensure that they follow the organization's standards closely in providing education to patients with diabetes in the Chaleur region and the Acadian Peninsula," said Alice Hébert, director of nursing for the ABHA.

According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than two million Canadians have diabetes. By the end of the decade, this number is expected to rise to three million. Approximately 10 percent have type 1 diabetes. However, the number of Canadians with type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically due to a number of factors: The population is aging, obesity rates are rising and Canadians' lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Aboriginal people are three to five times more likely than the general population to develop type 2 diabetes. Seventy-seven percent of new Canadians come from populations that are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. This includes people of Hispanic, Asian, South Asian or African descent. And there is a growing incidence of type 2 diabetes in children from high-risk populations. Diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year.

Since Joslin Diabetes Center's founding in 1898 by a single physician, Elliott P. Joslin, M.D., Joslin has helped revolutionize the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diabetes worldwide. Through Joslin's affiliation with Harvard Medical School and with a staff of leaders in the field, Joslin has emerged as the global leader in innovative research and pioneering approaches to education and clinical care. As the science and practice of medicine continue to evolve, Joslin's core mission endures: To improve the lives of people with diabetes and its complications by providing innovative care, education and research that will lead to the prevention and cure of the disease.

Joslin's Affiliated Programs was established in 1987 to make Joslin's programs, services, and expertise available to premier hospitals, healthcare systems and physician practices across the United States. Today Joslin Diabetes Center has Affiliated Programs in 27 facilities throughout the United States and in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Joslin provides clinical, educational, operational and marketing support to its Affiliates to make certain that high- quality, comprehensive and cost-effective diabetes care is available to each partner's community-ensuring that these organizations and the patients they serve are in touch with the latest clinical trends and research breakthroughs.

The ACADIE-BATHURST Health Authority was created when the Regional Health Authorities Act was introduced in April 2002.

The ACADIE-BATHURST Health Authority comprises the following facilities: the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, the Tracadie-Sheila Hospital, the Lamèque Hospital and Community Health Centre (CHC), and the Enfant-Jésus RHSJ† Community Health Centre, in Caraquet. It also includes these three health centres: the Miscou Health Centre, the Paquetville Health Centre and the Chaleur Health Centre, located in Pointe-Verte.

The Health Authority serves the population of the Chaleur region and Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. In certain highly specialized areas, the Health Authority also provides services to residents of the neighboring Restigouche and Miramichi regions.

The Chaleur Regional Hospital is a 215-bed facility, with more than 70 physicians on staff. For more information on the ACADIE-BATHURST Health Authority and the Chaleur Regional Hospital, please visit our Web Site at http://www.santeacadie-bathursthealth.ca/.

Joslin Diabetes Center, dedicated to conquering diabetes in all of its forms, is the global leader in diabetes research, care and education. Founded in 1898, Joslin is an independent nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Joslin research is a team of more than 300 people at the forefront of discovery aimed at preventing and curing diabetes. Joslin Clinic, affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, the nationwide network of Joslin Affiliated Programs, and the hundreds of Joslin educational programs offered each year for clinicians, researchers and patients, enable Joslin to develop, implement and share innovations that immeasurably improve the lives of people with diabetes. For more information on Joslin, call 1-800-JOSLIN-1 or visit www.joslin.org.