In-Office Screening Programs Streamline Diabetes Care for Children and Families

The pediatric endocrinology team at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center will soon offer in-office screening services for eye- and kidney-related complications in children with diabetes, streamlining care and improving convenience by creating a “diabetes medical home” for young patients.

“Routine diabetic retinopathy screening is recommended for pediatric patients, but many don’t receive this important test due to the inconvenience of scheduling an ophthalmology appointment, insurance issues, and other concerns,” said pediatric endocrinologist Shoshana Tell, M.D. “The goal of our program is to improve screening numbers, so we can identify signs of diabetic retinopathy early and prevent progression of the disease.”

The pediatric endocrinology office recently purchased a fundus photography machine, a noninvasive imaging modality that provides detailed pictures of the back of the eye. After the pictures are taken in the office, they will be electronically sent to a pediatric ophthalmologist for review.

“The pediatric ophthalmologist can read the images and recommend next steps for treatment, if needed,” said Dr. Tell, who noted that the eye screening program will officially launch in early 2026. “We hope to pilot this approach to diabetic retinopathy screening in pediatrics and eventually scale it up to include adult endocrinology.”

Similarly, Dr. Tell and her team plan to begin offering in-office urine screening for kidney disease starting in spring 2026.

“Just as we want to catch the signs of diabetic retinopathy early, we also want to identify early signs of kidney disease,” said Dr. Tell. “Through point-of-care testing, we can identify kids who may need more extensive lab testing and connect them to a pediatric nephrologist if they receive abnormal results.”

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