A Medical Device Daily

With mounting evidence that many health professionals lack the training and skills to combat the nation’s growing epidemic of diabetes, the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute (Milpitas, California) reported opening its first training center in the U.S. to improve how practitioners deliver diabetes care.

The new Silicon Valley-based facility will provide training each year for thousands of community-based nurses, physician assistants, diabetes educators and other health professionals using a curriculum developed with national diabetes organizations and academic centers.

It will address the acute shortage of skills training in diabetes management at the community level, which practitioners cite as one of the major obstacles to improving patient outcomes.

“At a time when the costs for diabetes in this country are estimated to be $174 billion annually, the nation needs new strategies to raise the level of care for people with diabetes, including stepped-up education and hands-on training of health professionals working at the local level,” said former acting U.S. surgeon general, Kenneth Moritsugu, MD, MPH, who now serves as the institute’s chairman. The center, he said, “will arm those on the front lines in delivering diabetes care with the latest information and practical skills so they can help their patients live healthier, longer lives.”

In other new ventures:

• Kinetic Concepts (KCI; San Antonio) reported the establishment of a sales force in the U.S. that will focus solely on the company’s Therapeutic Surfaces business which helps to manage pressure ulcers, as well as specialty hospital beds that support patients in critical care units with pulmonary complications and bariatric patients.

The company is renaming the business as Therapeutic Support Systems to reflect the therapies offered. Lynne Sly, recently interim president of KCI’s international operations, will head the business as global president.

Previously, KCI’s sales team was responsible for selling both the company’s VAC Therapy System wound care system, as well as therapeutic surfaces. It now will focus on VAC Therapy and Therapeutic Support Systems.

Catherine Burzik, president/CEO of KCI, said, “While our VAC Therapy is clearly our leading growth business, Therapeutic Support Systems represents KCI’s heritage.

“We believe that new opportunities remain as we increase our focus on this business. The new name also gives us the flexibility to add a broader range of products in this business in the future.”