The ABCs …
Complications like kidney disease and amputations can be reduced by managing diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s called the ABCs. “A” is for A1C, which is the test that shows you what your blood glucose has been over the last three months. “B” is for blood pressure. “C” is for cholesterol. It’s important for patients and the health care team to have a mutual understanding of the target numbers and goals are.
While she is based Chicago, Dr. Peek works with the Merck Foundation’s Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes across the U.S.
She received her medical degree and master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins University, and completed her residency training at Stanford University Hospital. She then worked for the National Health Service Corps for two years at a community health center for the medically underserved in Ohio before relocating to Chicago.
As a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program office Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change, Dr. Peek led the systematic review of health care interventions to reduce disparities in diabetes care and outcomes. She has been funded by RWJF and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to explore racial differences in patient/provider communication and to pilot patient-empowerment interventions to enhance such communication among blacks with diabetes. Dr. Peek was part of the NIDDK strategic planning committee whose 2010 report ‘Advances and Emerging Opportunities in Diabetes Research’ set forth the diabetes research agenda for the next 5-10 years.
Dr. Peek also does research on the development and evaluation of community-based, culturally-tailored interventions to promote healthy behaviors and preventive care, including women’s health (i.e. breast cancer screening), physical activity and diabetes self-management.
