State Senate subcommittee passes diabetes bill

Thursday, February 9th 2006, 6:09 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A Senate subcommittee approves a bill that University of Oklahoma President David Boren hopes will lead to a world class diabetes research and treatment center in the next few years.

Boren wants lawmakers to approve $15-million in seed money to construct the center at the OU Medical Center and hire more researchers and doctors.

A clinic being built as part of Tulsa County's 2025 tax initiative would be utilized in the program.

A diabetes patient himself, Boren says the OU Medical School already is a leader in diabetes research and has eight $1-million worth of endowed professorships.

With help from the Legislature, he says Oklahoma can have one of the top five diabetes centers in the nation in the next three years.