Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D

Erika Szumel has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, works on the Blue Circle Health community engagement team, and is currently training for another marathon. But this episode isn’t really about running. It’s about doing hard things with type 1 diabetes. Scott and Erika explore what confidence actually looks like when you live with T1D, and why it’s often not something you have before you be...

Kathryn Ward, a licensed clinical social worker at Blue Circle Health, joins Scott to talk about emotional resilience: something many people living with type 1 diabetes feel but don’t always have words for.  Kathryn works closely with people navigating the emotional side of diabetes every day. In this conversation, she and Scott explore what emotional resilience really means, what it doesn’t, and...

Matthew Garza, Director of dStigmatize at diaTribe, joins us to unpack a topic that so many people living with type 1 diabetes feel—but don’t always have words for: diabetes stigma. From subtle judgment to systemic bias, stigma can shape how people see themselves, how they interact with healthcare, and even the outcomes they experience over time. Matthew shares what diabetes stigma really is, why...

David Panzirer is a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the father of two adult children with type 1 diabetes. In this conversation, he shares what it was like to go from knowing almost nothing about type 1 diabetes to becoming deeply involved in improving care for people living with it. In this conversation, David reflects on the early days of fear and uncertainty, what it really feels l...

Dr. Bill Polonsky, President and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, joins Scott to talk about dealing with the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes. This isn’t about burnout as a buzzword or a clinical label. It’s about the real, day-to-day emotional weight of managing a condition that never lets up, and how that weight can quietly shape how we think, feel, and care for ours...

Rita Rubin, MS, RDN, CDCES,  joins Scott for a thoughtful and practical conversation about nutrition and type 1 diabetes—and how to make it a lot less overwhelming. Rita is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Blue Circle Health who has spent decades helping people navigate food, blood sugars, and the challenges that can come with both. In this episode, Ri...

Scott K. Johnson talks with Keshia Cannon-Peak, a former Blue Circle Health participant who lives in Delaware and has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1984. Keshia shares what her diagnosis was like when she was 11 years old, the isolation she felt growing up without knowing anyone else with type 1 diabetes, and how technology and online communities changed her relationship with diabetes over time...

Mila Clarke, MS, NBC-HWC, joins Scott to talk about something many of us feel but don’t always say out loud: diabetes can be incredibly isolating, and community can change everything. Mila shares her own diagnosis story, including years of being misdiagnosed and the exhausting fight to be believed. From there, the conversation explores what makes a community truly supportive (and what can make it...

Gary Scheiner, MS, CDCES, FADCES, joins Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D to unpack a powerful tool in diabetes management: exercise! An award-winning diabetes educator and the owner and founder of Integrated Diabetes Services , Gary brings deep clinical expertise and lived experience to the conversation. Together, Scott and Gary talk about why exercise can feel intimidating with T1D and how...

Anna Sabino, a social worker and diabetes educator who’s lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 30 years, joins the podcast to talk about self-advocacy. From unexpected questions at the gym to loaded comments from strangers, coworkers, or even healthcare providers, Anna and Scott unpack why these moments hit so hard and how people with T1D can respond in ways that protect both their emotional he...

Dr. Len D’Avolio, CEO and co-founder of Blue Circle Health, sat down with Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D host Scott Johnson to discuss why today’s healthcare system makes living with type 1 diabetes harder than it should be and how better is possible. Drawing on decades of experience building and studying healthcare systems, Len explains why type 1 diabetes has become the “poster child” f...

In this episode, host Scott Johnson talks with Carrie Matuzsan , a case manager at Blue Circle Health who has lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 22 years. Carrie shares her journey from her diagnosis at age 12 to her current professional role helping others navigate life with diabetes, including financial hurdles, insurance, and social determinants of health like housing and transportation. The...

It can feel like people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are fighting for their lives in a system built to wear them down. The twist is that clinicians often feel the same weight as they fight to provide care. In this episode, host Scott Johnson talks with two highly-skilled healthcare professionals from University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio: Natalie Bellini , an endocrine nurse practitioner and progr...

Navigating life with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is challenging, even for those who are highly prepared and well-equipped. In this episode, host Scott Johnson talks with Rob Howe , diabetes advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of the long-standing podcast " Diabetics Doing Things , about his journey as a former high-level college and professional basketball player who has lived with T1D for 20 years. Rob...

If you've ever felt extra stressed and anxious about your diabetes as the holidays approach, you're not alone! The holidays are supposed to be times full of joy and cheer, but they often bring an extra dose of stress and disruption to our T1D routines. In this episode, host Scott Johnson sits down with Eleni Sheehan, a fellow PWD and Advanced Practice Nurse at Blue Circle Health, to talk about the...

Insurance might not be the most exciting part of living with type 1 diabetes… but it can make or break your ability to get the tools, supplies, and medications you need. In this episode, host Scott Johnson sits down with Neil Greathouse, a fellow T1D advocate, content creator, and producer at Blue Circle Health, to unpack the confusing world of insurance for people living with type 1 diabetes. The...

In this debut episode, host Scott Johnson , who’s lived with type 1 diabetes for more than 45 years, sits down with Dr. Monica Gomberg , a practicing endocrinologist who left private practice to help re-imagine diabetes care at Blue Circle Health . They explore one bold question: What if we could start over and redesign T1D care from the ground up? Dr. Gomberg explains how Blue Circle Health - a c...