Elvie Ellis, Camp Coordinator

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK, Elvie loves being the Camp Coordinator for Camp Blue Hawk. Elvie attended The University of Oklahoma from 2009 to 2016 earning a Bachelor's Degree and Vocal Music Education, and a Master's Degree in Adult & Higher Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs. Elvie joined Camp Blue Hawk in January of 2017 after a brief stint as a performer on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. While Elvie does not have type 1 diabetes himself, his experience working with OU's Camp Crimson and High School Leadership Conference is what informs his passion for camps. In his free time, Elvie sings with a band, the OKC Groove Merchants, and goes to see as many movies as possible!

Contact Elvie at elvie-ellis@ouhsc.edu or 405-271-7000 ext. 43030

Dr. David Jelley, Medical Director

Dr. Jelley earned his BA at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and MD at the University of Oklahoma. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of Oklahoma – Tulsa College of Medicine, and fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Colorado HSC - Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. After fellowship, he began private practice in Tulsa, OK and remained active in clinical research as the principal investigator for the Oklahoma affiliate of the NIH funded DPT-1 study, which has transitioned to the Diabetes TrialNet Type 1.  He is also a PI in the T1D Exchange and the Pediatric Diabetes Consortium research groups. Dr. Jelley is the PI for multiple phase 3 pharmaceutical trials in for children and adolescents with both type 1 and 2 diabetes. In 2007 he helped establish the Tulsa division of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. Dr. Jelley is currently the Hille Chair of Diabetes and Director of the Harold Hamm Diabetes at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine in Tulsa. He is active in the Pediatric residency program as both a lecturer and mentor for residents during their pediatric endocrinology rotation and research projects.Dr. Jelley has been the Medical Director of Camp Lo Be Gon diabetes camp for the past 26 years and with Dr. Ken Copeland established Camp Blue Hawk in 2015. In his free time Dr. Jelley enjoys mountain biking and travelling with his wife, Martina. 

Dr. Joni Beck, Executive Committee

Joni Beck is the Clinical Programs Director for Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrine and a Clinical Professor within the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma.  She received a bachelor and doctorate degree in pharmacy at the University of Minnesota prior to completing a residency in primary care pharmacy at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Dr. Beck is a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE®) and Board-Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management.  Her career has focused on collaborating with other healthcare professionals to create programs and services which optimize diabetes care while educating and empowering persons with diabetes. A particular emphasis of Joni’s is easing the transition for young adults from pediatric to adult diabetes services.  Joni has been an active member of the Camp Blue Hawk Executive Board since its creation and has been a med staff team member at camp each year.  In her personal time, she loves to travel with her husband and two boys, read and cheer on the OKC Thunder and OU football teams.

Dr. Steven Chernausek, Executive Committee

Dr. Chernausek holds the Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair in Pediatric Diabetes/Endocrinology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and is the chief of the Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology Section. Dr. Chernausek completed his pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota and his fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the University of North Carolina. He was Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center until he came to work at the Children’s Hospital in 2007. He is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology.  He has served on the editorial boards of Endocrinologyand Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismand on the Sub-board of Endocrinology for the American Board of Pediatrics. He is also past president of the Pediatric Endocrine Society. Personal interests include hiking, running (9 marathons completed), and enjoying all the wonderful things that Oklahoma City has to offer.  

Dr. Minu George, Executive Committee

Dr. George currently serves on the Executive Committee for Camp Blue Hawk; and has been onsite as part of the medical staff every year since it's inception. He is from The Bronx, NY where he grew up and is a fan of the NY Yankees, NY Football Giants, in addition to OKC Thunder and OU Sooners. He graduated with his Bachelors of Science from NYU (New York University); and went on to get his Medical Doctor degree from SUNY (State University of NY) Downstate, in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to Oklahoma in 2010 he has been part of the Section of Diabetes & Endocrinology in OKC. He currently serves as the Medical Director of the OUCP Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinics. He is also a faculty member currently as an Associate Professor Level at the OU College of Medicine in OKC, OK. He is married to Sharon and enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and 2 young boys. He is also active in his church youth community and serves there in various capacities. In in his free time, he gardens  and plays basketball or watches sports.

Dr. Hal Scofield, Executive Committee

Dr. Scofield received a BA in Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1980, and was the fourth generation of his family to attend Texas A&M.  He attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and was graduated with the MD degree in 1984.  He was an internal medicine intern and resident at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center from 1984 through 1987, serving as Medicine Chief Resident 1987-1988.  He was an endocrinology fellow at the same institution and a post-doctoral fellow in immunology and genetics at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation from 1988 to 1991, joining the faculty at OUHSC in the Department of Medicine and the Arthritis & Immunology Program at OMRF in 1991.  He has been attending diabetes camp since 1990. For him, the second-best day of the year is the day camp starts.  In addition to diabetes camp, he has served as camp doctor many times for the Native Youth Preventing Diabetes camp as well stints as a regular camp doctor at the YMCA’s Camp Classen in the Arbuckle Mountains.  In his free time, he plays tuba in a concert band, attends the symphony, referee’s soccer, plays golf, reads history, and is working on a Masters in medical history at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. David Sparling, Executive Committee

Dr. Sparling graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2001 and went on to pursue his MD/PhD at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, completing his degrees in 2009. He completed his pediatrics residency and a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital through the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He returned to OU and is now an Assistant Professor in the section of Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology at the OU College of Medicine, and holds the CHF Paul and Ann Milburn Chair in Pediatric Diabetes. He has a special clinical interest in type 1 diabetes mellitus, and his research focuses both on diagnosis and management of children with type 1 diabetes as the site primary investigator for TrialNet and the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange. He is also the recipient of a K08 mentored training award examining the role of adipocytes in inflammation. He’s always loved diabetes camp ever since medical school, and can be found at one most summers.