June 2, 2006
CONTACT: Susanne Hartman
(215) 349-5964
susanne.hartman@uphs.upenn.edu
Invitation to Cover
Aida Turturro, Janice on The Sopranos TV Show, to Tour the
Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center on June 6
The Actress, Who Suffers From Type 2 Diabetes, Will Share
Her Personal Story of
Living With This Condition With Penn Diabetes Patients
| WHAT: | The media is invited to join The Sopranos TV actress, Aida Turturro, as she tours the Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center. After the tour, the media is also welcome to attend a discussion between Turturro and several Penn diabetes patients as they talk about the daily challenges of living with diabetes. Turturro has Type 2 diabetes and will share her personal story of struggle with the disease. |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, June 6 Timeline: |
| WHERE: | Penn Tower (Across the street from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) Civic Center Boulevard at 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 4th Floor, Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center & Gates Conference Room **Valet & garage parking available at Penn Tower building** |
NOTE: This is NOT open to the general public.
Aida's Story
Aida Turturro has appeared on stage and screen as many different characters,
but no doubt her most famous role to date is that of Tony Soprano’s
sister Janice on the award winning and critically acclaimed HBO series,
The Sopranos, for six seasons.
However, her many fans may not realize that she has struggled with diabetes for a number of years. She is now sharing her personal story to encourage those with or at-risk for diabetes to get in control of the condition to avoid life-threatening complications. She wants to stress the importance of managing the condition on a daily basis. Her appearance is part of a diabetes awareness campaign funded by sanofi-aventis.
Penn’s Dedication to Diabetes Care
The Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania is dedicated to the treatment and prevention
of diabetes and advancing clinical research. Unique to the Philadelphia
region, we provide comprehensive care exclusively for patients with diabetes,
pre-diabetes and other endocrine problems. As part of a world-class academic
medical center, we offer a multidisciplinary team of diabetes specialists
and endocrinologists using advanced clinical therapies and the latest
research.
Also, we offer a family-oriented approach to patient care by providing a variety of services to help our patients and their families manage the disease and develop a healthy, normal lifestyle. Family and friends are invited to: attend office visits to learn about our educational programs; learn techniques for daily management of the disease; and use our interactive computers and video equipment available in our waiting areas during office visits.
Under our guidance, patients manage the disease through: eating a healthy diet; taking medicine as prescribed; self-monitoring blood glucose; exercising; taking care of the skin and feet; and becoming an active member with the health care team.
Editor's Notes: Aida Turturro will be available for one-on-one media interviews for 30 minutes before the tour in the Gates conference room on 4 Penn Tower.
Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting more than six percent of the U.S. population or 18.2 million people. Diabetes is linked to heart and kidney disease, strokes and other serious health problems. Diabetes results when the body either does not produce insulin or cannot use it properly. Insulin is a hormone that your body needs to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy for living. Although there is no cure for diabetes, it can be controlled.
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PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which is consistently ranked one of the nation's few "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S.News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.
This release is available online at
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/jun06/TurturroITC.htm