November is “National Diabetes Month,” and medical professionals in Prince George’s County, Maryland, are bringing attention to the illness this weekend by offering free advice and tests.
“We are bringing diabetes education to the community,” said Dr. Ogechi Anyaoku, a primary care physician with Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center.
Diabetes affects about 37 million Americans and occurs when blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. It can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, and it’s linked to certain types of cancer.
“We know that diabetes is a common condition, and we just want to make sure that we give our community members access to education, access to several different providers and access to a lot of the community resources that we have,” Anyaoku said.
A free, public event is hosted by Adventist HealthCare Saturday from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. at 10709 Indian Head Highway. Dozens are expected to attend and it will include health screenings, blood tests and discussions with professionals.
While Anyaoku said registration is not required, she encouraged people to sign up online so organizers have a better idea of how many people to expect.
“The community can receive information about diabetes, how to prevent diabetes and ways to manage it,” Anyaoku said. “They can receive different levels of care in terms of screening exams, as well as just engaging with the different specialists and providers and ask any questions that they may have.”
According to Anyaoku, Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center is also developing a long-term diabetes prevention and management program that will allow people to sign up for group support online or in-person.
“It is a yearlong program that people can sign up for,” Anyaoku said. “We hope to be rolling it out in the next couple of months.”
