Wisconsin
'It's not someone's fault': Wisconsin doctor pushes back on stigma against kids with diabetes
People with Type 2 diabetes can face stigma and even blame when health care providers see the disease as the result of poor diet instead of a chronic condition.
It’s a misconception that Dr. Elizabeth Mann, pediatric endocrinologist at UW Health, is trying to combat as a growing number of children and teens in Wisconsin are developing the disease.
“It’s not someone’s fault that they have (Type 2 diabetes),” said Mann. “It’s a metabolic difference that happens in their body. Blaming them for it and setting unrealistic expectations of what nutrition and lifestyle therapy will do for them only serves to sort of turn patients off to come in and see us.”
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Over the last two decades in the U.S., the disease has not only become more common in people under age 18, but has also started to affect younger children, including those as young as 6 years old. The National Institutes for Health launched a nationwide study earlier this year to try to understand what is driving the disease in adolescents.
Mann leads UW Health’s Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes program, where she has been treating a growing number of kids in recent years. She said the program used to have around 20 children referred to them each year, but that number is now around 150 kids.
“Many kids with Type 2 diabetes across the state don’t have the ability to drive all the way to Madison,” she said, “So we’re also talking with family medicine providers and pediatricians around the state who are caring for these kids in their clinics, with support from us or on their own.”
Mann said when a person develops Type 2 diabetes at a young age, the disease is more aggressive and is more likely to lead to further complications like heart disease. That also means nutrition and lifestyle changes alone are not as effective at managing the disease as they are in adults.
She said treatment options for the disease has greatly improved thanks to the availability of new medications, referred to GLP-1 drugs, for children.
But these drugs, sold under brands like Ozempic and Wegozy, have become controversial for their use in weight loss. Critics have questioned whether enough is known about the long-term health impacts of using these medications at a young age.
Mann said it’s difficult to get approval for the medication through Wisconsin’s Medicaid insurance program and the medications are only covered for a limited time. She said many private insurance companies will simply refuse to cover the treatment.
“When we can’t use evidence to help our patients access the right medication for them because of insurance limitations, it’s like we’re kind of fighting with our hands behind our backs,” she said. “That’s, I think, how our families are feeling too. There’s an option that could work for them, but it’s only covered for six months.”
As Wisconsin continues to see an increase in kids with Type 2 diabetes, Mann said she believes improving access to these medications is an important part of the state’ public health response. She also hopes to see increased screening and early recognition of the disease to ensure kids are getting the help they need.
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WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.
According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.
UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.
Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.
The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.
“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.
The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.
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(WLUK) — The Wisconsin-Notre Dame game at Lambeau Field will be under the lights.
Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6.
The matchup, originally scheduled for Oct. 3, 2020, was rescheduled for 2026 after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the 2020 football season.
The Badgers took on the Fighting Irish at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021 as part of the Shamrock Series, the neutral-site non-conference series between the two programs. Notre Dame claimed the first game of the series 41-13.
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Wisconsin last played at Lambeau Field in 2016 and scored a 16-14 win over No. 5 LSU.
Wisconsin
DHS urges Wisconsin ‘sanctuary’ county to keep illegal immigrant accused in elderly sexual assaults jailed
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The Department of Homeland Security is urging “sanctuary politicians in Wisconsin” not to release a Nicaraguan national who was arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting an elderly victim, according to a statement Wednesday.
Julio Cesar Morales-Jarquin, 31, is in local police custody after being charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim, DHS said.
He was arrested last month after a residential care facility in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, reported to police that an employee may have assaulted vulnerable residents, according to local outlet WKOW.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer request on April 27 asking that Morales-Jarquin remain in custody.
ICE ARRESTS ALLEGED CHILD SEX OFFENDER RELEASED UNDER CONNECTICUT SANCTUARY LAWS
Julio Cesar Morales-Jarquin, 31, is accused of sexually assaulting an elderly victim at a Wisconsin care facility, according to authorities. (Department of Homeland Security)
DHS on Wednesday called on Dane County officials not to release Morales-Jarquin, accusing the county of being a “sanctuary jurisdiction” that refuses to honor ICE detainers.
The agency said the county has previously given ICE as little as 30 minutes to take custody of individuals in its jail.
DHS BLASTS MINNESOTA BOARD FOR UNANIMOUSLY PARDONING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF 3 ASSAULTS
The Department of Homeland Security logo. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to DHS, Morales-Jarquin entered the United States in 2023 under the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole program for Nicaragua. Although the program was later ended, DHS said he remained in the country unlawfully.
“This illegal alien is charged with two counts of sexual assault of an elderly victim at an assisted living facility,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in the DHS statement. “This dirtbag was released into the country by the Biden Administration. DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians in Dane County, Wisconsin to NOT release this criminal from jail back onto the streets to commit more crimes.”
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The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. (Jordan McAlister)
“We need Wisconsin sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us to remove criminals from our country,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Dane County Executive’s Office for comment.
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