Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Show Commitment to Women with Diabetes at 2017 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Show Commitment to Women with Diabetes at 2017 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute

Chicago, IL (May 10, 2017) - DiabetesSisters, the national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and support women with or at risk of diabetes, has received support from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly as it hosts its 3rd annual Leadership Institute on October 13, 2017.

Twenty-eight women from thirteen states and Washington, DC, will participate in the Institute in Alexandria, VA. Each woman is a diabetes advocate, a prominent DiabeteSisters volunteer, and a monthly peer support leader for monthly PODS (Part of DiabetesSisters) Meetups in her local community. 
The 2017 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute will further develop the skills of PODS Leaders by providing in-depth experiential training on effective group facilitation, communication, teambuilding, and peer support for women with diabetes. The Institute agenda includes sessions focusing on celebrating difference and building bridges among women living with diabetes, ways to tell and share personal stories as a platform for health advocacy and best practices for facilitating and engaging members of PODS Meetups groups. Additionally, the Institute offers opportunities for physical activity and networking. Speakers include Diana Karczmarczyk, Past Chair of DiabetesSisters Board of Directors and faculty at George Mason University, DiabetesSisters staff, and a representative from Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC).

“As an attendee last year, I felt the information and the understanding that was provided to me through women I met in Chicago at the DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute in 2016 was life-changing,” said Allison Hurley, PODS Leader from Columbus, OH. “I enjoy helping others feel the same way. I love the sisterhood more than anything and look forward to participating again this year.” 
The 2017 DiabetesSisters Leadership Institute will be followed by the DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women Conference, a weekend event open to all women living with diabetes and their partners, providing more education and support. Registration for the Weekend for Women Conference can be completed here.

A DiabetesSisters signature program, the PODS Meetup program started in Raleigh, NC in 2010 and has grown to support 28 monthly Meetup locations throughout the US. The program provides peer support, education, and advocacy to women living with diabetes and prediabetes and serves more than 1,300 women annually.

The Boehringer Ingelheim-Lilly Alliance joins the Dexcom One Step Ahead Foundation, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Merck, and Novo Nordisk as sponsors of this year’s Institute.

About DiabetesSisters: 
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, DiabetesSisters is the only organization nationwide focusing exclusively on women living with diabetes. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women living with and at risk of developing diabetes and to advocate on their behalf. DiabetesSisters has a 13,000-member peer network that unites women with diabetes for the purpose of support, education, and advocacy. Signature programs include monthly peer support meetings (PODS Meetups); the Life Class Webinar Series and online blogs, forums, and expert resources; and conferences throughout the US. For more information, visit http://www.diabetessisters.org.