Between college and medical school, Fort Bragg endocrinologist David Newell, M.D., worked for a scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley helping create experiments for the Spacelab, a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Shuttle.
“We were looking at how weightlessness affects bone density,” recalls Dr. Newell. This interest and subsequent research projects in medical school led him to specialize in diagnosing and treating people with diabetes, osteoporosis and problems related to the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands.
With the merger of the hospital and the North Coast Family Health Center, where Dr. Newell has practiced for 15 years, the hospital’s board of directors has made a new commitment of resources and staff to improve endocrinology and diabetes care. “I’m very excited about creating a diabetes prevention program to enhance our overall care,” he said.
Dr. Newell’s multi-disciplinary approach to controlling blood sugar in hospitalized patients to prevent serious infections and other complications already is cutting edge. “We are a leader among rural and even larger hospitals and actually expect to be a resource to them in the future in implementing similar programs,” he notes.
By using insulin pumps and advanced technology for continuous glucose monitoring, he has boosted the quality of care for diabetics. He also manages a bone density testing and monitoring program and advises “every woman over 65 and every man over 70 to get checked.”
If you are concerned you might have diabetes or are at risk for getting it, contact the North Coast Family Health Center for an appointment at 961-4631