Saint Michael's Medical Center Observes Diabetes Month with Screenings and Education

NEWARK, N.J. — In observance of National Diabetes Month, the Diabetes Management Center at Saint Michael’s Medical Center will offer a series of screenings and educational programs in November. Free blood glucose testing and diabetes education will be offered on Saturday, November 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at the hospital’s Columbus Campus, located at 495 North 13th Street in Newark. A second session will be offered on Saturday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Saint James Campus, located at 155 Jefferson Street in Newark. These screenings are free and open to the public, and no appointment is necessary.

The Diabetes Management Center at Saint Michael’s Medical Center has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association as meeting the national standards for diabetes self-management education. The program is designed to provide patients with the skills and knowledge necessary to live successfully with diabetes, manage their symptoms, and adopt healthy eating habits. Staffed by Registered Nurses and Registered Dietitians who are Certified Diabetes Educators, the Center offers education in the basics of understanding diabetes and how it occurs; complications of diabetes; carbohydrates counting and portion sizes; developing individualized meal plans; standards of diabetes care; blood glucose monitoring and medication management; and intensive insulin therapy management.

“More than 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 5.7 million of those don’t even know they have it,” said Patrice Paolella, MPH, RD, CDE, director of the Diabetes Management Center. “It’s the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation. This November, Saint Michael’s Medical Center is partnering with the American Diabetes Association to raise community awareness about the need for diabetes screening for those who may be at risk.”

More information is available by calling the Diabetes Management Center, at (973) 877-2885.

Established by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1867, Saint Michael’s Medical Center is a 357-bed regional tertiary-care, teaching and research center in the heart of Newark’s business and educational district. The Saint James Campus in Newark’s East Ward and the Columbus Campus in the North Ward deliver key non-acute services, including 24-hour emergency care. They serve as a “front door” to the inpatient, outpatient, and clinic services available at Saint Michael’s Medical Center. More information is available at www.smmcnj.org. Saint Michael’s Medical Center is a member of Catholic Health East, a Catholic health system sponsored by 10 religious congregations and Hope Ministries, based in Newtown Square, PA. More information is available at www.che.org.