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What if we could start over and redesign T1D care from the ground up?
“It shouldn’t be this hard to stay alive.” – Dr. Monica Gomberg“Blue Circle Health was created to remove barriers - not add more.”“We built this program by listening to patients first.”
The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D.
Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes.
Learn more at BlueCircleHealth.org
Welcome to Around the Circle, Living Well with T1D, a podcast produced by Blue Circle Health to help people live well with type one diabetes. My name is Scott Johnson. I've lived with T1D for forty five years, and I'm thrilled to be your host. We all know living with T1D can be hard. We go through high highs and low lows, literally.
Scott K. Johnson:In Around the Circle, we'll talk with people that live with the condition and with experts that spend every day fighting to improve the health of people with T1D. We'll share in their struggles and successes, learn from their lessons, and remind everyone listening that you're not alone in dealing with this challenging disease. For our first episode, we thought, what better place to start than at the beginning? And we begin with a question. What if we could start over, wipe the slate clean, and rethink what T1D care should look like?
Scott K. Johnson:This was the question that inspired the creation of Blue Circle Health, a nonprofit funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, a private foundation dedicated to improving the lives of people with type one diabetes. When Doctor. Monica Gomberg heard about Blue Circle Health, she was already a partner in a successful private endocrinology practice, living in Pittsburgh with her husband, two young children, and her dog, Gray. By all accounts, she had built the career so many doctors hope for when they go to med school. Why in the world would she leave her practice to help build this new experimental care program?
Scott K. Johnson:Today, we'll meet Doctor. Gomberg, hear her story, and learn what happens when you're given the chance to answer the question, What should type one diabetes care look like? Doctor. Gomberg, many of our listeners may not know you yet. You've been practicing endocrinology and caring for type one diabetes for a long time.
Scott K. Johnson:Tell us a little bit about you and your background.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Yeah, well, so nice to be here, Scott. So I am a practicing endocrinologist at Blue Circle Health. I trained at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and I received my endocrinology degree there after working in internal medicine for a while. I worked in private practice and had wonderful partners there in practice in Pittsburgh, where I saw patients across three different state lines, a lot of general endocrinology care, as well as very dedicated diabetes care. And then I joined Blue Circle Health about, two and a half years ago at this point.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And it's been life changing really. And so I've been here practicing and building what we see here in our care program. And I'm happy to be here to talk to you about it.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah, we're happy to have you here too, as well. What's one challenge you've seen your patients face that has really stuck with you and how has that influenced the way that you think about type one care?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:I'd say the consistent challenge that I have always struggled with helping people with truly is the fact that it's not about the insulin adjustment. It's not always about what is needed in that room with me as an endocrinologist, that diabetes is encompassing in people's lives in so many ways that my endocrinology patient relationship is not always able to help with. And that's what I think is the biggest challenge for getting my patients what they need because they need so much more than just what I can help them with at that time.
Scott K. Johnson:Oh, that's so interesting. Really touch on the broad needs and having just a little bit of time with them and also just not so many resources. And we're going to get into more of that around Blue Circle Health and the program that you're helping design and have built here. But for listeners who may not have heard of Blue Circle Health or know much about us, can you tell us in simple terms, what is it?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Absolutely. So Blue Circle Health is a virtual six month care, education and support program for adults who live with type one diabetes and any of the many states that we serve. Not everyone that comes through the program needs the same things or wants the same things. And so we make sure that we are addressing what it is that you need. And so we'll talk through our array of services, which you and I can talk about because I think it's important to relay that.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And on that call, create that care plan. Before you hang up the phone, you'll be scheduled for an appointment with someone called your T1D support guide. That guide is someone who will be your person, your point of contact to talk to you throughout the time in the program, schedule appointments for you, make sure we can connect because we are a virtual program. We need to connect with you over Zoom or phone calls. We'll make sure that works for you And we'll give you the tools you need to make sure you're supported in that.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And then we'll set up appointments along the way. And so that six month timeline looks very different for everyone. Someone might come in needing one thing and we'll give that to you and work with you along the way. And you can be on your way if that's what you need. Or it might be somebody that needs many different appointments and wants to have frequent touch bases.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And that's what your program can look like for you. So what you need, and what you get is based on what it is that you want in your life at that time.
Scott K. Johnson:Is it locked in? Like once I decide or talk, you know, for the first couple of appointments about what I think I need, am I locked into that plan or can it flex and adjust?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:It's a great question. I actually want to take a second too, because it can feel like a lot to somebody to say, what is it, Scott, that you need right now? I don't know. Maybe a glass of water. Like, I'm not really sure what I need right now.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And that's okay. And so I'm really glad you asked this because things can change. Life changes. Maybe you're getting married in a month from now. Maybe you're graduating.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Maybe insurance is changing and that's coming up. And that's really something big and important and impactful in your life. And so the program changes and flexes along with you. That's why I mentioned that support guide. You reach out to them to say, Hey, this thing happened to me, or I'm thinking about this in a different way.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Who can I talk to about it? Absolutely. We add things on and take things off and make appointments and cancel appointments if that's no longer what you need in your life. And so that plan can change along with you.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned just the feeling of overwhelm, you know, being overwhelmed. Because when I think about adding another new person to my care team,
Dr. Monica Gomberg:it
Scott K. Johnson:can be overwhelming. And it's a little bit scary to sort of open up my life with diabetes to a stranger who I've never met. And so I love that there's that recognition that things may change as the relationship develops. I also really love that you emphasized the T1D support guides because there may be some services that I maybe have heard about, but I don't really know or understand what that looks like in my diabetes care. And I'm assuming that they can help me understand how those services might help, right?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Exactly. So they'll talk with you about the services and the services, by the way, what they'll talk to you about really includes our array of service lines, which is endocrinology care. So you can see an endocrinologist here virtually at Blue Circle Health, or anyone on the endocrinology team. You can see a certified diabetes educator and nutritionist. You can talk to an LCSW, a diabetes supportive counselor.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And if, if accepted to meet with her, you can talk about your diabetes related concerns and distress and fear of hypoglycemia, which is so pervasive. And by the way, diabetes distress is incredibly pervasive and we need to acknowledge it and we want to make sure that that's addressed by our full care team. So that is something that we offer as well. We also have insurance navigation and our insurance navigator team, can help with help you understand your benefits. So, know, it's one hurdle to even have insurance.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:We acknowledge that that's not something that everyone can have access to, and they can talk to you about what's out there, what's available for you. But once you have insurance, if that's something that is in your life and in your plan, what does that cover? I mean, how many times have you gone and gotten a prescription for something and it was NovoLog, but they cover Humalog or what glucagon is covered in my plan? What are these options out there? And so they'll be able to help you understand your benefits and really dig in in relation to your T1D life.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so then those insurance navigators, I think, have been invaluable for so many of our patients. We also have case management. And our case manager can help connect people with resources in communities where people are already living, as well as national support groups, prescription assistance programs, ways to connect you with financial support, with support within the community. We acknowledge that it's really, really, really hard for someone to focus on their blood sugars if that's their goal when they're trying to keep the lights on or trying to keep the refrigerator on to keep the insulin cold. And all these things need to come first.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so that case manager is really able to sit down with you and figure out what those things are and connect with resources that might exist in your community. And then I talked about our support guides, as well. They're another aspect, another service line in the program. And then we have two specialized programs within Blue Circle Health that I'd be happy to talk with you about now if you'd like. Yeah.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:We have two internal programs. One is our prescription assistance program, and that's for patients who need a little bit of financial support. So what it translates to is for those at 300% of the federal poverty line. And I know that's a number that can be hard to visualize or understand. And so they can talk with you about what that means and really break it down and see if that's something that might work for you.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so patients can apply for this program. And if accepted, they get a card preloaded for them with a dollar amount that they can use at their local pharmacies and pay for our very extensive list of T1D meds and supplies. And so hopefully take off some of that financial burden to allow you to use your funds to what is important for you. We also have an intro to CGM program, which is intended to provide access to CGMs for patients who have never had it. It's been a long time or have no sustainable way to keep using a CGM.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so we provide a free ninety day supply of a CGM center, along with pre and post education to make sure people feel supported. We talked early on about managing expectations. I want people to understand that's a lot of new information coming your way when you put a CGM on, and you shouldn't feel alone in that. And so we make sure to take the time if that's what patients want to say, here's what to expect, here's what to do if it falls off, here's the differences in the CGMs, and here's how to read all that information that's now coming your way. And so that's kind of the array of services and programs we have to offer.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And one thing that I didn't mention is we really focus on a very extensive community aspect here at Blue Circle Health. And that's something that I was hinting at at the beginning. And in terms of as an endocrinologist, I can't provide that as much as I so want to. And being able to say there's a community of people out there who have shared life experience, have been through your walk of life and who are physically in your communities even. And so Blue Circle Health offers a lot of virtual groups here, webinars, cooking classes, support groups with our T1D guides, as well as connecting people to an extensive array of really vetted and loved services that many of our team even take advantage of as well.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:So those are the things that we can work with you on, and we're constantly learning and growing.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah, that's great. Can we touch a little eligibility requirements, right? Absolutely. People are probably thinking, oh man, this sounds amazing, but there's no way I can qualify for something like that. What are the qualification and eligibility requirements?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Absolutely. So I do want to mention that BlueCircle Health, I want to be upfront, is fully free. It's free for anyone who walks in our door. Because the reason why it's free is because it's fully funded from the Helmsley Charitable Trust. We are so grateful for that.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:There are no strings attached for people who enter. And I mentioned this in our eligibility criteria because you're not going to to find that there's a catch to that. And so it is free for everyone who enters. It is for adults living with type one diabetes. And so when I say adults, it's 18 and up.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And it's for anyone in our currently eligible states. And so you can go to our website. We are constantly growing. And so I want you to go to the website if you're listening to this later on and make sure you get the most updated states on there. The patients must be able to access us virtually because we are a fully virtual service.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so some of our services can be provided over the phone, but a lot of them are on Zoom because we want to see face to face with you and be able to really interact and have a meaningful interaction where you feel like you're getting what you need. And so we can help you log on to Zoom and figure out that if that's not accessible to you, maybe going to a library or using a family member video chat. And so we work with people on that as well. We also fully support our program entirely in English as well as Spanish. And we are very unique in that we're texting patients a lot, and we want to make sure that we're meeting them where they're at because they can't always just get on the phone to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:We can text you about it when you're at work, whatever it might be. And so we can do that in English and Spanish. And so English and Spanish speakers can find us accessible to them and our care team be able to talk fully in their language. Exclusion criteria, meaning one reason where people cannot currently enroll at Blue Circle Health is currently being pregnant. We can see, patients pre and postnatal, and very, very happy, to support those patients.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:But we want to make sure that you get that in person exams and labs and care that you so desperately need in that time. And we'll be happy to see you, after that as well.
Scott K. Johnson:Let's shift a little bit and talk about how hard it is living with type one diabetes and it shouldn't feel so hard to stay alive. Why was Blue Circle Health created in the first place? What gaps are we trying to close there?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:You really said it so well, Scott, it should not be this hard to stay alive. Is very it's a hard pill to swallow. Or when you think about the fact that there's a medication that you need to literally stay alive and in order to get it, you might need to find funds to pay for insurance or you might need to pay an arm and a leg to just get the insulin that month and then figure out how to monitor that. And so for all of these reasons, it's very, very difficult to get what your basic need is to make your pancreas function on an everyday basis or to be your pancreas, I should, I should really say on an everyday basis. And so that's where Blue Circle Health and the people who funded it came together and said that shouldn't be the case And we need to do better.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so in order to do that, we said, let's make this accessible to the patients who need it. And that is everyone who lives with type one diabetes. And let's do it in a way that is responding to what patients are really asking for and what honestly, what doctors are asking for, what social workers are at, what the health care providers so desperately want to provide to their patients. And because of the system that we work in and reimbursements, we can't. And so let's work to do it in this way that is putting everyone's needs first and is responding to the fact that we know that cost is an issue, that finances are an issue, that accessibility to community is an issue.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And let's put it all in one place and make it easily accessible to everyone at hand.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah. And you mentioned earlier that the program is completely free to people and participants who sign up. Why is that so important in the state of diabetes care and today's health care system?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:There should not be any more barriers than there already are. Mean, I can think of so many just in one single day for a patient and in getting to the pharmacy and paying for bills at the pharmacy and understanding what the prescription says and why it was different than what you understood in the office. And, and I can go on, you know, hundreds of things can be on that list and your cares should not be one of them. And your ability to thrive should never be one of them. And I think there's nobody in this world who would disagree with that.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so in order to bridge that gap, we said that this needs to be accessible to everyone without one more barrier, without one more of those hurdles that you're already facing in the day. Let's try to make it a little bit better.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah, that's great. And it kind of feels like what we deserve, right? We're fighting these two battles, one with just diabetes, which is incredibly hard even when you have everything that you might want or need. It's still hard. And then you're also fighting a battle with the system that sometimes feels like puts these unnecessary barriers in the way.
Scott K. Johnson:You touched on some of the challenges that people with diabetes face. Can you talk maybe a few more examples of other challenges that people with type one typically face and how Blue Circle Health helps address those?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Absolutely. So, I mean, I feel like I can tell so many stories from what my patients have expressed to me. And I feel like the best way that I can describe it is from my own viewpoint, right? And from what patients have told me. So when I'm in face to face with a patient, I am constantly hearing the fact that this is what they want their goal, whatever that goal is.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:This is what I want that goal to be. But in order to get there, there's so many difficulties of it was really hard for me to get off of work today and I can't get off of work today because I have to pay for my bills or I'm at home and I'm very fortunate to be able to get my insulin, but no one understands it. And I'm sitting in shame in the corner or I'm running to the bathroom to give my insulin because I'm embarrassed of what people around me might think. And I had a patient so heartbreakingly tell me, and I know that his story is not remotely isolated and that the police were called on him so many times because he had to inject insulin on the bus on one of three buses, by the way, to get to his appointments. But everyone thought that it was drug use because that was the stereotype that he's facing on a constant basis.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:That's him living his life. Like, that's not even what he wants his X, Y, Z, A1C, GMI, whatever goal to be in his own personal health care plan. That's just getting by in life. And so there's just so many barriers and challenges that I feel like before you even enter the door of a health care organization or group or clinic or office, whatever it might be, there's so many things behind that. And and I can just share many of these stories, but these are just some of the things that have come up and that I hope we can start to really break down and come together and address.
Scott K. Johnson:It's a pretty sad reflection of the state of diabetes care today that we have so many stories like that we can share, isn't it?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Absolutely. Absolutely. It's really harrowing to constantly hear and think about. And when patients tell me these stories, I still, I want to be shocked, right? Like I want it to be something that I've never heard before.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so often it's not, and that's heartbreaking. And in some ways it's nice to know you're not alone, but who wants to be together in these challenges and battles and not something that we need to do better with. And that's what Blue Circle Health was formed to really work with patients and try to overcome some of these incredible barriers that everyone's facing every day.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah. So let's dig into that a little bit more, right? Like we've talked about how the system that we're in today, it's really designed for very acute care, not something like diabetes, which is chronic and lifelong. And you've been a key part of designing what type one diabetes care looks like, you and the team, at Blue Circle Health. So what makes the Blue Circle Health care model different from the traditional doctor's appointments and visits that people are used to?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:I want to be very, very clear that I have had the incredibly fortunate experience to be part of building this. And I am so grateful every single day. And none of it has come from me or anyone on the team. Everything that we do has come from our patients and has come from feedback and has come from listening and learning and making mistakes and fixing them and saying, here's, here's what we're hearing. Here's what we think.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And no, no, that's, that's actually not what the patients want and need. And okay, let's flex. And I think that's the beauty and really the fortunate aspect of of us doing what we're doing and with having our funding behind us to be able to provide this program and be flexible and listen and change. That's really how we've formed what we formed. And so by by saying that patients come first, and patients are our guiding star, and what they're asking for and what they're telling us has been so difficult in their life is what is changing and growing.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Blue Circle Health has been really, an incredible approach. And I think that, well, I know, I don't think I know for a fact that everyone that I went to medical school with, my doctor colleagues, every physician I've ever worked with, this is why we went to medicals. This is why we did what we did and why we are in clinic offices with our patients. And it's not what everyone's able to provide because we are working within our current health care system. And, and I, and I understand that.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And that's what I think Blue Circle Health is so lucky to say. We're able to do it differently and we're able to show the world. And by the way, that's part of our mission to say that we, we want to share our learnings with everyone and we want to make sure that everyone is able to partake in this and we're able to learn together. And so that being said, that's how we're doing it and where I hope to go in the future.
Scott K. Johnson:So all of this sounds great, but I already have a doctor. Like how does that play into things? Can you explain a little bit about how Blue Circle Health works alongside a person's existing doctor or care team and that we're not replacing them?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:We are not replacing them. I think it's incredibly important for everyone understand that. Was incredibly important when we were building this to say that a lot of people have primary care doctors, endocrinologists, have a care team that they know and love and trust. And they might have an endocrinologist, but they need to understand their insurance. And my endocrinologist doesn't have an insurance navigator.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Wonderful. Blue Circle Health, is able to be there in the way that you need it and that you can enroll in Blue Circle Health and never see our endocrinology team the entire time. No problem whatsoever. If you need to see our case manager, our insurance navigator, any combination, we can make sure that that happens for you. And so there's not this duplicating of, don't know who to talk to for this.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:No, continue with your care team, continue where you feel comfortable. We are add on care. And by the way, this is the best thing that we can offer for your endocrinologist in primary care as well. You're not cheating on them in any way. I would have loved to have this in my previous role to know that that's something that I'll see in three months.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And in the interim, I know that you're in good hands. And I know that you'll be able to get additional support that you need and that you deserve. And by the way, if you don't have a primary care doctor, if you don't have an endocrinologist, we can work with you to identify who might be one in your insurance plan, if you have insurance, two in your radius, in your area, whether or not you have insurance. And we can talk to you about what exists out there in terms of affordability and options in terms of clinics. And so that's something that we can connect you with.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And it's really important to us to make sure you feel supported in your in person care.
Scott K. Johnson:And I also imagine that there are scenarios where the person's care team, as you touched on before, just doesn't have the time to cover topic X, Y, and Z. And so then that care team can communicate. We communicate back and forth, they can let them know about that. We at Blue Circle Health can kind of zone in on that, right?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Absolutely. So I want to make sure that everyone's aware that what we're doing here is not in a bubble, that your diabetes is not in a bubble, that every part, just like we said earlier, this one event in my life is going to affect this this other thing. It's going to affect my sugar in a different way. Like everything is interconnected. We want to make sure that your care is interconnected and then it's a continuity.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so if you're seeing an endocrinologist here, we're providing any clinical advice, we're sending that back to your primary care. There is no hidden agenda. We're working together and we're making sure that everyone's on the same page. And we're happy to pick up the phone and talk to them or vice versa to answer the phone when they call us. We want to make sure that your care is comprehensive and that it's one big system for you.
Scott K. Johnson:Yeah, that's great. All right, how about we take a break for a minute and just catch our breath, we've covered a lot so far, so we'll be back in just a sec.
Len D'Avolio:Hi, my name is Len DeBolio, I'm the CEO of Blue Circle Health and probably one of the best parts of my job is getting to read, and in this case, share the stories of some of the people that participate in the program, and I have one here from, Paulo, who's been living with Type one since 2013, and, and I'm quoting from Paulo, Living with type one diabetes is not easy. The biggest challenge is the constant work it takes every single day. Sometimes it's the insurance issues with getting the supplies, other times it's just the stress of always having to plan food, exercise, and insulin. Even when my blood sugars are in good range most of the time, it still takes a lot of effort. I joined Blue Circle Health because I felt I needed more support with my care.
Len D'Avolio:It's not just about insulin, I wanted someone who could help me see the big picture. Blue Circle has made things feel easier for me, I feel more supported and not alone with all the decisions I have to make. They help me look at my CGM graphs and medications in a complete way, not just blood sugar. It gives me more confidence that I'm doing the right things for my long term health. Paulo, thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Len D'Avolio:The whole team loves to hear things like this. You know, it really is a huge part of who we are and what we stand for at Blue Circle Health.
Sara Lerner:Hi, I'm Sara, Director of Community Engagement at Blue Circle Health and I was diagnosed with T1D at age 25. I have some pretty big news for you today. As some of you know, our program is currently operating in 11 states. That's Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. This week, we just added five more states.
Sara Lerner:If you're in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, or Kentucky and are 18 or older and living with T1D, head to our website, bluecirclehealth.org, to sign up today. There are additional eligibility requirements and updates about state expansion on the website and on our social media pages.
Scott K. Johnson:All right, welcome back. Doctor. Gomberg, let's shift gears for a moment. We touched really briefly on your background in endocrinology and type one care, but like how long ago was that? How much time did you spend in your private practice and what got you interested in endocrinology in the first place?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Sure. Well, would you like to know, I was born on a snowy November day, and I won't take you back that far, but I have always, always wanted to be in an aspect of health care and patient care because I loved the the feeling of camaraderie, of compassion, of connection really with people and their lives. And so I chose medical school for that reason and throughout medical school was planning to do primary care because my thought was that was the only way to have long term connections with people and their families and that medicine and health is impacted not just by the human being in front of you, but in everyone in your life, and in many different parts of your life. And so I loved that aspect of over time, I will learn about your grandpa and about your wedding and your kids and get to know them. They'll show up at an appointment and, you know, I'm fine with them being on an iPad there.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:It's fine. And, and I loved that. And I thought that's what I was going to do until I wound up on an endocrinology rotation and my life changed because I immediately felt that I didn't know how to define that, but what I was defining was diabetes care. What I was defining was every aspect of your life affects your diabetes. Every aspect of your people that are in your life influence you in different ways.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And, and that was diabetes care. And I felt that there was so much, there's so many things that are complicated about it and allowed me to really fall, fall in a way that was really connecting with the patient in front of me and allowing me to be part of their journey. And so it allowed this like intellectual aspect along with the emotional humanity aspect. And so that's how I chose what I did. I went to medical school in Chicago, go Cubs, and I went to Pittsburgh for my training in internal medicine and endocrinology.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And I joined private practice. And I loved it because private practice allowed me an opportunity to see everything in one day, and, and to have pumps in every aspect and to explore. We were so busy. We're one of the busiest practices in the Pittsburgh area where I practiced. So it allowed us to experience things frontline, and to experiment with things frontline along with the patients who are willing to take that jump with me.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so I loved that and was there for almost seven years and my family grew there. And so that's what made me really appreciate everything that went into what it means to live with diabetes, because it was there that I went in thinking, cool, I can talk to people and advise them clinically and really improve their diabetes goals. And boy, was that a slap in the face when I learned that I could only do so much and I can only work within the system that was provided to me and I can provide a sample to patients and what good was that going to do after the sample was up because they couldn't afford to get to my office, couldn't afford to continue the medicine. And I knew there needed to be better. There needed to different way and I wanted to be part of that different way and so that had me seek out Blue Circle Health and I was so grateful that Doctor.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:DiVoglio, the CEO of Blue Circle Health, came together with the Helmsley Charitable Trust to say, let's do this. Let's stop talking about it and let's do it. And so that is what really pushed me to say, I believe in this team wholeheartedly and I am in it. And I am here listening to patients on how we can make this better for everyone.
Scott K. Johnson:So Doctor. Gomberg, one of the things you mentioned that really, just fills my heart with so much is, is wanting to be a partner and sort of a co teammate with the person living with type one diabetes. And I can't tell you enough how much that helps me as someone living with type one diabetes, just knowing I've got someone in my corner who's rooting for me, who cares, and is doing everything they can to help me. And they're invested in my well-being and success almost as much as I am. I imagine that that is really a core part of the care that you're building at Blue Circle Health, how we take care of people with type one diabetes.
Scott K. Johnson:What excites you about that and about being part of this new model of care?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Yeah, that's a great question. I think, and it makes me sad to say it, but I think so much of living with diabetes, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but so much of living with diabetes, you are alone because it is every part of your day. If you're with someone or not, it's you individually having to make a lot of really hard decisions throughout the day. And to come to a medical appointment where someone might not listen to you or to have that experience, which I hope people don't have, but if they'd had that experience, that's it just feels like a dark place. Like here I am alone again, while I'm literally with someone who's here to help me.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And so it is very, very, very important for me to make sure that we are on the same team, that I am listening to say, what is it that you need today? And yes, there are going to be things that of course I bring up because for your health, it's really important that I mention. But to ask you where you'd like this conversation to go is critically important. And that is how we built the team. A lot of our team actually lives with type one diabetes.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:And as someone who doesn't live with type one diabetes, it is my priority to learn from them every single day and to make sure that what I know from the books and from my deep experience is one thing. And to have a lived experience is another thing. And that is something that I need to learn and grow from and constantly make sure that I am acknowledging. And so that part of the team, for so many different reasons, that just being one is really, really important for us here at Blue Circle Health. And our team works with one another and has regular weekly meetings with one another to learn and to grow and to make sure we're connecting on things that we're unsure about or things that we want to learn and grow from or an experience that happened.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:That really gets back to the patients. And I think patients feel that and they feel when the team is happy and really loves working with one another. It's a happy place to be. And therefore we can relay that happiness and that love to you all as well.
Scott K. Johnson:That's great. Yeah, thank you. We've covered a ton of stuff. And I think I could talk to you forever about these things. And we will.
Scott K. Johnson:We'll have you back soon. But I think we should just, the sake of people's time, start to turn the corner and wrap up a bit. For anyone listening who's interested, what's the easiest way to learn more or sign up today?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Yes, the easiest way is to go to our website, bluecirclehealth.org. I'm a little biased. I also love the social media. So find us BlueCircleHealth on Instagram, and Facebook, but bluecirclehealth.org, is our website, the easiest way to access us. And you can find out how to sign up.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:You can find out how to get more information, and you can refer patients yourself if you're a healthcare provider listening here.
Scott K. Johnson:Great. Thank you. And if you were to reflect on everything we've talked about, what's the one message or one takeaway you'd like people living with T1D to bring with them after they hear this conversation?
Dr. Monica Gomberg:I would love anyone who lives with type one diabetes listening to this to know that there is a giant team of people here at Blue Circle Health who are here with you, that you are not alone, that we will listen to you and take a step along with you and that we will learn from your life and your words and your experience and figure out what is best for you, not the person next to you, not everyone in one spot for you. And I would love you to know that we are here and we are available and we are willing to listen and that we can do this together.
Scott K. Johnson:Amazing. Yeah, that's great. Closing question. We're asking this question to every guest that comes on the show. What's one thing that still surprises you about type one diabetes?
Scott K. Johnson:One
Dr. Monica Gomberg:thing that still surprises me about type one diabetes is how so many people don't know how hard it is. And that there's a misconception of that, that I don't, it shocks me every time and yet doesn't shock me every time, how people have just no knowledge of how deeply that runs, how every single day, every minute of your day is impacted and that you have to think about it and that you can live your life and diabetes is there and people don't realize that. And I I've found it really impactful how, amazing people living with diabetes take that on every single day, 20 fourseven. And so that's always eye opening to me.
Scott K. Johnson:That's a great answer. And I'm a little biased too, but I think, yeah, we're pretty amazing. We do some pretty amazing stuff just to get through a day and we often don't give ourselves enough credit for that. So I love that answer. Thank you for that.
Scott K. Johnson:Doctor. Gomberg, thank you so much for opening up this new podcast adventure with us. We really appreciate you sharing so much of yourself and sharing about Blue Circle Health. And thank you for all the work that you're doing at Blue Circle Health for all of us living with type one diabetes. It's making a difference.
Dr. Monica Gomberg:Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for letting me be a little part of your life today, and I really appreciate the opportunity.
Scott K. Johnson:Thanks for listening today. I really appreciate you sharing your time with me. You can learn more about Blue Circle Health on our website at bluecirclehealth.org or by following us on social media at BlueCircleHealth. And remember, if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date with the latest episodes. And listen, before we sign off, I want to introduce you to our Community Partner Spotlight where we'll highlight one of our many community partners doing great work in diabetes.
Scott K. Johnson:If you haven't already heard of The Diabetes Link, I encourage you to check them out. They focus on people with diabetes who are between the ages of 18 to 30 and have a ton of resources for young adults living with T1D. Learn more about them at thediabeteslink.org, and remember to take a look at their awesome resource hub as well. And be sure to join us for our next episode where we're digging into questions you sent in about insurance. And I don't know about you, but that always is a really tricky topic in my life with diabetes.
Scott K. Johnson:I hope to see you again next time, and until then, keep living well with T1D!