CLEVELAND – Leona Cuttler, MD, Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism and Director of the Center for Child Health & Policy at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital has been appointed as the inaugural chair holder of the William T. Dahms Chair in Pediatric Endocrinology.
Dr. Dahms worked at Rainbow as a pediatric endocrinologist for 28 years, before passing away in 2006. His career was dedicated to clinical research, primarily in childhood diabetes, and he was division chief of pediatric endocrinology for several years. The chair was established in recognition of Dr. Dahms’ long-standing commitment and devotion to caring for children with endocrine disorders. Dr. Dahms recruited Dr. Cuttler to Cleveland in 1990.
“William Dahms was a wonderful person and a great endocrinologist. I have unbounded respect for what he brought to Rainbow, to the Division of Endocrinology, and to the field.” said Dr. Cuttler. “This chair, in his name, is a great honor for me.”
Dr. Cuttler is also Professor of Pediatrics and Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is renowned for her long-time research accomplishments and continuous advocating for children’s health issues.
Dr. Cuttler was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Health Policy Fellowship in 2005, serving on the staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for over one year. In this capacity, she worked on Medicare, health quality indicators, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, obesity and other conditions.
Dr. Cuttler has developed clinical, research, and policy programs that span health care and policy from bench to bedside. Among them is the Center for Chronic Conditions of Childhood. In addition, Dr. Cuttler led a multidisciplinary think tank to address the health problems of disadvantaged children in Cleveland. Dr. Cuttler also was instrumental in the establishment of a large interdisciplinary clinical and research program at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital to address childhood obesity. Under her leadership, the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology has grown in faculty number, fellowship programs, patient base, and research.
Dr. Cuttler is an active researcher in the areas of:growth disorders and their treatment, diabetes, obesity; chronic disease; ethics; and child health policy. Her research has been supported by several organizations – including the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program, the American Diabetes Association, and philanthropies. Dr. Cuttler, together with her colleague Prof JB Silvers, was named 2006 Health Policy Researcher of the Year (Ohio).
She is the author of numerous articles on pediatric endocrinology, diabetes, and policy in peer-reviewed journals – as well as invited reviews, editorials, and text chapters. She is on the editorial board of major journals. She has served on several committees for the NIH, nonprofit organizations, and professional groups. She has twice been elected by her peers to be a Director of the national Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society. She serves on the strategic planning committee, the national clinical research committee, and the public policy committee of for pediatric endocrinologists nationally.. She serves on the Ohio Medicaid developmental screening committee. She serves on the Board of Trustees for non-profit organizations. She has served on many committees for Rainbow and Case. She has consistently been selected as a “Top Doc”.
Prior to joining the faculty of Case Western Reserve University and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Dr. Cuttler was on the faculty of the University of Chicago. She received her medical degree from McGill University and obtained postgraduate training at the University of Toronto and the University of California San Francisco.