Novant Health, an integrated system based in Winston-Salem, N.C., serves the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia with 15 hospitals and more than 500 outpatient locations. Carl S. Armato has served as CEO of the enterprise since 2012, but he’s faced a far more difficult challenge since he was just 18 months old—living with diabetes. To share the story of his struggles as well as his many triumphs, he published a book this year titled A Future with Hope: An Inspiring Guide to Overcoming Diabetes. Armato spoke with Assistant Managing Editor David May. The following is an edited transcript.
MH: What do you think needs to be addressed regarding care for diabetes?
Armato: I’ll start with why I wrote it. I’m going to tell you the exact moment I decided to do it. I was at an event where I had the privilege of being honored by the Triad Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where I shared my 50-year journey with Type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed at 18 months old. I’m 53 now. There was a line of young people after the event. They ranged between 18 and 25 years of age. After the event, a young girl came up to me with tears in her eyes saying that she hadn’t heard anyone be so positive about thriving with Type 1 diabetes.
It was at that moment that I decided to write the book. For years, I had been taking notes about my experiences. I was worried that later in life, if I wasn’t around, if I had grandchildren or great grandchildren who might be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes … I wanted to make sure that they had an opportunity to read about my experiences that they may not be able to learn in a physician’s office or in diabetic education training.
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Article source: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20181201/NEWS/181129924