Rector Center: Dedicated to Defeating Diabetes

PARSONS, Kan., Nov. 17 – Dreams do come true, especially if you bring together the right combination of resources, knowledge, dedication and energy and then apply a dash of inspiration and a lot of hard work.

The Rector Diabetes Education and Resource Center on the Labette Health campus is such a dream. It began when Rhett May was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of two. His grandparents, Jacque and Kelly Rector of Parsons, were disappointed in the amount and quality of diabetes-related information available to caregivers, educators and others who might be part of Rhett’s life.

Working with Dr. Manish Dixit, a pediatrician, and a Labette Health committee, the Rectors developed a vision of a facility that could make an impact on the spread of diabetes by educating those most at risk — children. The vision was shared with allies in the battle against diabetes, including Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and the excitement grew. A generous donation from the Rectors to the Labette Health Foundation funded construction of a home for the vision.

The result of their efforts was a 2,000-square-foot building that contains classroom space and a demonstration kitchen, plus a vibrant mix of high-tech fitness equipment and interactive media kiosks. The new facility was dedicated November 17.

“Lifestyle changes are best made in young age groups,” Dr. Dixit said. “We have to invest in the health of our community by controlling obesity and future diabetes.”

Studies show that conditions such as adult heart disease and atherosclerosis originate in childhood, Dr. Dixit said, noting that children between ages five and 17 with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile are 2.4 times more likely to have high cholesterol, three times more likely to have high LDL, 3.4 times more likely to have more HDL, 7.1 times more likely to have high triglycerides and 4.5 times more likely to have high blood pressure.

“Not only will the Rector Center be a place for children at risk of developing diabetes to come to learn how to live a more healthy lifestyle with our library and interactive games, we have access to Labette Health’s new medical-based fitness facility, The CORE, for ongoing fitness programs,” said Shellie Collins, R.N., C.P.F.T., who was named director of the Center. “We not only want to educate the people of the community, we want to inspire them. It is about changing the way we live at the foundational levels for a brighter, healthier future.”

Collins is currently leading screening teams in compiling body-mass index statistics on several hundred area children in grades two through five. A pilot study a year ago showed higher-than-average levels of obesity, which has been shown to be a factor in the onset of type 2 diabetes later in life. Early results of this year’s screenings indicate that approximately 40 percent of the students screened are overweight — at or above the 85th percentile.

“Thanks to the Rector family’s generosity, Labette Health has been able to create a rural model that can be effective not only in educating people about diabetes but hopefully providing an example that can be duplicated in rural areas throughout the country,” said William Mahoney, Labette Health President and CEO.

At the dedication ceremony, keynote speaker Peter Savage, M.D., senior scientific advisor in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, praised Labette Health’s efforts in developing the Rector initiatives and educating the public about diabetes-related issues. “There’s no way to replace the educated patient,” he said.

“This gift will have an impact far beyond the families whose lives will be improved in our own community,” Mahoney said. “The goals of the Rector Diabetes Center are high, but so are the consequences if diabetes remains unchecked.”

Rector Center Medical Director Manish Dixit, left, attended the dedication of the new facility with Jacque and Kelly Rector and their grandson, Rhett May, who inspired the project. Below, Jacque Rector talked with Peter Savage, M.D., senior scientific advisor in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.