First, Jennifer McVean, M.D., former pediatric endocrinologist for the University of Minnesota Physicians and associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School, is joining the Diabetes business at Medtronic. This key role augments the company’s commitment to supporting pediatric patients and their families with a full product portfolio along with education and support tools to make living with diabetes easier.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. McVean to our Medtronic team as she brings in a wealth of experiences and insights that are informed by her personal diabetes journey,” said Robert Vigersky, M.D., chief medical officer of the Diabetes business at Medtronic.  “Her compassionate approach to diabetes management and deep commitment to serving the community were a perfect match with our Mission-driven culture and patient-first mindset. Dr. McVean has a wonderful reputation in the clinical and patient communities and we’re all looking forward to benefiting from her close partnership as we look to serve even more patients around the world with technologies that provide greater freedom and better health.”  

McVean brings a new perspective to Medtronic  
Dr. McVean will provide medical expertise and strategic guidance from a pediatric endocrinology viewpoint on regulatory strategy, evidence development, product design, clinical communications and publications, marketing and commercial strategies, and training and support needs.

She says she’s excited to join Medtronic to help accelerate technological innovation in the management of diabetes, a disease she’s lived with for years.

“I’ve seen how advancements in diabetes technology can improve outcomes and decrease burden for my patients and their families and for me as a long-time Medtronic insulin pump user,” said McVean, M.D., medical affairs director of the Diabetes business at Medtronic. “As a pediatric endocrinologist and a person who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 34 years, I am intimately aware of the unrelenting challenges of day-to-day management and significant mental burden of this disease on children and their caregivers, adolescents and adults. Medtronic technologies currently deliver positive clinical outcomes; and with sharp and increased focus on ease of use and overall user experience, there is tremendous opportunity ahead to make these comprehensive offerings even better.”

Dr. McVean completed her pediatric residency at the University of Colorado and her pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. After engaging in clinical practice in Wisconsin and Minnesota for eight years, she joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 2016. She is actively involved with JDRF as a board member of the Minnesota chapter and volunteers as a staff physician at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Camp Needlepoint. Dr. McVean is fluent in Spanish and will help to further advance the company’s health equity initiatives focused on improving access and affordability for even more patients around the world who stand to benefit from advanced diabetes technologies.

Pediatric portfolio continues to expand
McVean joins Medtronic at a time when the company is expanding treatment options for children living with diabetes. In the United States, that includes the MiniMed™ 770G insulin pump system,[SR2]  which offers smartphone connectivity and an age indication down to the age of 2 years old, the only automated system available to children this young.

For pediatric management of diabetes using multiple daily injections (MDI), Medtronic offers InPen™ smart[1] insulin pen and iPort Advance™, an injection port that makes insulin administration easier. And to further reduce diabetes burden, Medtronic is introducing the Medtronic Extended infusion set globally which can be worn for up to seven (7) days which decreases infusion set changes by more than 50% from 122 to 52 per year with current technology.

Offering education and support to pediatric diabetes patients
Getting a diabetes diagnosis is difficult for anyone, let alone a child. With that in mind, Medtronic offers education and support tools and programs specific to pediatric patients and their caregivers as well. A recent re-brand of Lenny the Lion [RP3] updated the company’s official ambassador for children’s diabetes education to modernize his appearance and make him more relatable to today’s children.

Medtronic sponsors diabetes camps as well, including those by Diabetes Education & Camping Association (DECA) which supports over 80 diabetes camping organizations located throughout the U.S. The company provides supplies, staff and support to help make camp a valuable experience for all.

Medtronic also supports the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in their camp efforts, which this year focused on a virtual “Imagine Camp” which reached 3,000 children living with diabetes. 

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[1] Smart insulin pens connect to a mobile app to provide dosing calculations, reminders and CGM system integration.