Endocrinology

If you have a condition that affects your glands or hormones, our endocrinologists can provide the expert guidance and care you need. From diabetes to osteoporosis to thyroid disease, our experts offer the region’s most advanced treatment for every endocrine condition.

Endocrinologists are the specialists to see if you have an issue with your glands or hormones. We treat many metabolic disorders affecting how your body converts food to energy and other issues related to your:

Pancreas (such as diabetes)
Thyroid (such as underactive and overactive thyroid, and thyroid cancer)
Adrenal, pineal and pituitary glands (such as Cushing disease)
Reproductive glands like ovaries and testes (such as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome and infertility)
Bones (such as osteoporosis and calcium disorders)

You’ll find expert endocrinology care close to home at our convenient locations in Columbia and Jefferson City.

How to See an Endocrinologist at MU Health Care

To see our endocrinologists and hormone specialists, ask your primary care provider or other specialist for a referral. If your child needs endocrinology care, ask your pediatrician for a referral to our pediatric endocrinologists.

Our Approach to Endocrinology Care

Endocrine conditions often affect more than one system in the body. Our team takes a personalized, coordinated approach to help you feel your best now and protect your long-term health. Depending on your unique needs, your care team may include:

Endocrinologists: Diagnose hormone and metabolic conditions and create a personalized care plan that meets your goals.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners: Can help with medication management and disease education.
Certified diabetes educators: Nurses and dietitians with specialized training in diabetes management.

Our endocrinologists also collaborate with other medical experts to manage issues affecting your hormones and glands. As an academic health system, we offer the complete range of specialists who can work together on your care, including:

Cardiologists: Help manage high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Fertility specialists: Offer options if you want to grow your family.
Nephrologists: Help manage high blood pressure, diabetes-related kidney disease and other conditions.
Neurosurgeons: Offer minimally invasive surgery to remove pituitary tumors.
OB/GYNs and maternal fetal medicine specialists: Treat gestational diabetes and thyroid disease during pregnancy.
Oncologists: Can refer you to our team if cancer treatments affect your endocrine system.
Orthopaedic surgeons and rheumatologists: Can treat bone concerns like osteoporosis.

Conditions We Treat

Addison disease
Adrenal tumors
Calcium disorders
Cushing syndrome
Gestational diabetes
Graves’ disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)
Hormone issues
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
Infertility
Irregular periods
Maturity-onset diabetes of the young
Metabolic disorders
Neuroendocrine tumors
Obesity
Osteoporosis
Parathyroid disease
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)
Prediabetes
Thyroid cancer
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes

Endocrinology Services and Treatments

Our skilled endocrinology team offers leading-edge care for common conditions like diabetes and osteoporosis to rare neuroendocrine tumors like pheochromocytomas.

Personalized Diabetes Care and Education

We provide expert diabetes care for Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Your care may include:

Medication management, including insulin and newer therapies
Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) support
One-on-one education with certified diabetes educators
Nutrition counseling
Long-term complication prevention

For kids with Type 1 diabetes and other endocrine conditions, our pediatric endocrinologists can provide specialized care.

Support for Thyroid Nodules, Cancer and Parathyroid Disease

MU Health Care is the only place in central Missouri with a clinic staffed by endocrinologists and ENT specialists. If you have thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer or an issue with your parathyroid glands, we offer convenient, in-clinic thyroid ultrasounds.

When needed, we can coordinate surgery performed by an ENT to remove tumors or glands in your neck. After your procedure, our endocrinologists will manage your long-term follow-up care. You can also access clinical trials of promising new treatments through the clinic.

Expertise in Cushing Syndrome and Other Adrenal Diseases

Adrenal diseases can cause the adrenal glands to make too much or too little hormones. Such conditions can affect your blood sugar and blood pressure, which raises your health risks.

We diagnose and treat disorders such as:

Cushing syndrome
Addison disease
Pituitary hormone disorders
Hormone-secreting tumors

Our endocrinologists can help identify the cause of these hormone imbalances and offer evidence-based treatments to manage them. When surgery is needed, we coordinate care with experienced neurosurgeons and other specialists.