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Dr. George Grunberger is a brilliant man. Within just the first five minutes of a conversation with him, you can tell the wheels are turning and you must struggle to keep up with his razor-sharp mind. It's not long, however, before you realize that he's also a man who is both passionate about his work with diabetes and compassionate when it comes to his patients. So when he's asked why he chose to treat people dealing with diabetes, it's not surprising when he says, "It is both intellectually and emotionally challenging."

Over the last 30 years, Dr. Grunberger has met that challenge by successfully treating scores of patients. "The first 10,000 patients were tough," he says. "After that, it became easier." His tone then turns serious. He says diabetes is a "team sport," and he believes in bringing medical specialists from many disciplines right to his office to effectively treat the many symptoms his patients experience. That team effort involves experts in endocrinology, kidney specialists, insulin pump trainers, dieticians, diabetes educators, psychologists, podiatrists, orthotists, peripheral vascular disease doctors, and many others. In addition to Dr. Grunberger, the "home team" at the Grunberger Diabetes Institute (GDI) consists of Dr. Anjana Myneni, a general endocrinologist; Carol Tucker, a very experienced diabetes nurse practitioner; and a dedicated support staff of nurses and medical assistants.

The institute is also different from other private practices in its tradition of conducting clinical research studies, trying to discover new treatments for diabetes and its dreaded complications. Indeed, Dr. Grunberger has served as an investigator on more than 150 clinical protocols to date.

Still, Dr. Grunberger finds the most joy when a patient takes the time to express how good they feel because of the treatment he's providing for them.

Dr. Grunberger can empathize with his patients and what they are going through because both his father and grandfather had diabetes. He recalls his grandfather sharpening needles and sterilizing the syringes he used to inject himself with insulin every night in the kitchen. Dr. Grunberger points out that things have changed drastically since those days. "Over the last 31 years, for example, I've been able to use insulin pumps for my patients, and I take pride at having been chairman of the national American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Insulin Pump Task Force."

Among Dr. Grunberger's other distinctions is his current position on the national board of directors of the AACE (he also serves as the president of its Michigan Chapter), his role as a member of the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, his past service on the national board of directors of the American Diabetes Association, a 16-year-long stint as the founder and director of the Comprehensive Diabetes Program at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, and many more.

The doctor held tenured and endowed full professor appointments at Wayne State from 1986 until he left in 2002 to establish the Grunberger Diabetes Institute. As the doctor says, "I left it all to start a private diabetes practice ... earning my keep one patient at a time." Given his thriving practice today, it's obvious the doctor made the right decision.

So, one wonders, are there any patients that hold a special place in his heart? When asked that question, the doctor paused, sat back, smiled, and said, "Yes, the first ten-thousand patients." When pressed on the matter, he began to tell a revealing story. "There was a gentleman who came in one day in a wheelchair, his wife pushing him along. He was so overweight he couldn't even walk. There was a new drug on the market that I prescribed for him. Within a couple of months, his sugar dropped markedly, he'd lost 70 pounds, and he could walk again. His wife hugged me tight and thanked me for what I had done. That's the sort of thing you never forget."

So, too, is Dr. Grunberger the kind of individual that you just never forget.

Grunberger Diabetes Institute

George Grunberger, M.D.

43494 Woodward Ave., Suite 208

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

(248) 335-7740

www.gdi-pc.com