Marlene V. Grass is a nurse and a change-maker in Canadian healthcare for her unswerving commitment to diabetes care. As the founder of the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre, Grass has dedicated over three decades to supporting people living with type 1 diabetes.
It all started at a speaking event when Grass was approached by parents of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This interaction, along with persistent calls for help from these parents, helped her recognize the gaps that exist in type 1 diabetes care in Canada. Notably, she wanted to tackle the problem of keeping children out of the hospital while still providing essential care to families.
Grass consulted with parents and launched ‘The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre’ in 1989 to support these families in the Durham Region of the Greater Toronto Area. What began from the basement of a humble home is now a fully-fledged Centre that serves hundreds of pediatric patients and their families.
The expansion of the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre was not an easy task and finding funding was a challenge in the early years. Yet, Grass persisted, and in 1999, the Centre began to serve adult patients as well. Today, it is a place of hope for many living with type 1 diabetes, providing educational programs, support and summer camps for 350 children and over 1,200 adults. These services are provided every single day, year-round. “My patients cannot wait for the cure,” Grass says, and wants to ensure that access is always available.
Throughout her career, Grass has been a tireless advocate of mental health, providing parents and families with guidelines to understand the mental toll of type 1 diabetes on children and young adults. Grass has also facilitated several educational programs such as ‘Healthy and Happy Teens’ for adolescents with high hemoglobin A1Cs, a risk factor for diabetes, helping young adults recognize psychosocial factors that affect diabetes management. This program has been offered regularly at the Centre since 1998.
In 1990, Marlene became the first nurse to receive the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Frederick G. Banting Award in recognition of her service. Marlene Grass is also the 2012 Regional Outstanding Health Professional Award recipient in the Greater Toronto Area. An innovator, Marlene has been working with different health technology companies over the years to provide access to type 1 diabetic supplies, remove the stigma associated with diabetes and reduce the burden of this condition. The Best Centre, in the same manner, has embraced innovative digital health solutions for its patients. Today, Marlene continues to advocate for the expansion of the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre to support the needs of the growing type 1 patient community, stepping up efforts during tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Written by Maleeha Sarmad