Members of the Diabetes & Nutritional Rehabilitation Department.According to the American Diabetes Association, every year 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and a total of 3.5 million Pennsylvanians have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
To help educate the public about diabetes prevention and management, the Diabetes & Nutritional Rehabilitation Department hosted the second annual Diabetes Day on Nov. 1, at Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. More than 70 attendees participated in a variety of hands-on educational opportunities, including cooking demonstrations, teleretinal imaging, pharmacist consultations, goggles that simulate vision loss from Vision Core, and a panel discussion with field experts.
“This is a great event for the community to learn about management techniques and prevention tools if they have diabetes or may be at risk. Together with community resources, we were able to educate individuals on how diabetes can affect their whole body, from their stress level to neuropathy to their nutrition. We were also able to empower individuals to take action and utilize the tools that work best for their individual needs,” said Pamela Gress, supervisor, Diabetes & Nutrition Program.