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Community members Cherise Shockley and Mike Durbin shared what blue means to them earlier this month. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Sanofi US employee Bruce Braughton, who lives with type 1 diabetes. With over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing with Sanofi US, Bruce is now a VP of Sanofi US Diabetes Marketing. He adds so much to our team and I really admire how committed he is to improving the lives of others living with diabetes.

Q: World Diabetes Day was just a few days ago. How did you and your team spend the day?

A: We had a lot planned, and it was really exciting! We started the day with a spin class that included a few Diabetes HELP Team members and A1C Champions, which was a great way to get the day kicked off. We planned that activity to build awareness about diabetes and also to educate around the importance of exercise.

Then a Town Hall meeting at our headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey was simulcast to all U.S. sites. We had some great speakers including:

• Anne Whitaker, President of North America Pharmaceuticals at Sanofi
• Larry Hauser, CEO of the American Diabetes Association
• Dennis Urbaniak, VP, US Diabetes at Sanofi

I was quite engaged in the discussion you conducted, Laura. I especially liked how you brought in a couple of external diabetes community members to share their perspective on living with diabetes. That was a very important component of the Town Hall.

We also had A1C testing throughout the various corporate sites to make sure that employees had an opportunity to check their A1C level. We provided information about the ADA’s recommended ranges to help employees gauge their test results in an effort to help determine if they should consult their healthcare provider.

Additionally, a chef whipped up a diabetes-friendly meal in the cafeteria for everyone to enjoy along side members of our A1C Champions and our CDE HELP Team who were providing educational materials.

In the afternoon, Brooklyn Nets Coach Avery Johnson talked about Dribble to Stop Diabetes and led a walk around Sanofi US Headquarters. It was exciting to hear what Avery had to say about the great partnership between Sanofi US, the NBA/WNBA, NBA D-League and the American Diabetes Association, as well as his perspective on the importance of exercise during the walk around the campus.

Q: Were there any American Diabetes Month activities going on outside of World Diabetes Day?

A: Yes. All of our sales professionals out in the field brought educational resources to their medical professionals throughout the month. They gave out everything from the blue circle pins to wristbands. Plus, they had a lot of educational activities and materials that they displayed at hospitals and in doctors’ offices to help to increase awareness around not only World Diabetes Day but also around American Diabetes Month.

Q: The diabetes community has really united around the International Diabetes Federation’s blue circle and created several awareness activities around the color blue. Can you talk about what blue means to Sanofi US Diabetes?

A: For Sanofi US Diabetes, blue means a focus on the people living with diabetes. With all of our products and programs, we try to help people better manage their disease and get to an A1C number that’s manageable to live with. Blue symbolizes everything that we do to try and help people living with diabetes achieve better outcomes for their health.

Q: What does blue mean to you?

A: As someone diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost 10 years ago, blue represents an opportunity for me to continue to try to offer more education around this disease state. It’s the reason I wanted to start working in the Diabetes Division at Sanofi US. I’m so passionate about increasing awareness about diabetes and it’s something that’s not only important to me personally but to the entire team. For me and my team, blue is motivation; it’s awareness and it’s the action that we want to take to help people living with diabetes.

We had such a meaningful World Diabetes Day here at Sanofi US! I’m glad that Bruce could join us to provide an idea of how we spent our day and what drives us in our daily work. I hope you took some time to recognize the day and raise awareness too. We’d love to hear how you spent World Diabetes Day in the comments section below.

Happy Blue Friday,

Laura K.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2012 at 5:00 am and is filed under General. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.