By Russ George
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley held their July membership meeting Wednesday, July 9, at Oak Street Restaurant, 945 Oak Street, in North Aurora.
Club vice president of programs, Chuck Nelson, introduced guest speaker, Sonny de Rama, vice president of innovation and development, for VNA Health Care, also known as the Visiting Nurses Association.
Sonny de Rama said the VNA serves just under 90,000 patients each year, with about 8,000 being uncontrolled diabetics, and many more who are pre-diabetic, amounting to about 10% of their patients. They have approximately 2,500 diabetic patients at their Aurora location and approximately one third of their patients have no insurance.
VNA Health Care offers a Diabetic Total Care Program, that includes, one on one provider consultations, screening and education, along with a group education program called Step by Step, which VNA has offered for a number of years. The purpose of this program is to establish a comprehensive response to a patient’s diabetes diagnosis and offer patients the ability to receive multiple diabetes-related services within one visit, which is particularly beneficial to a population that is often challenged with low health literacy and the impacts of social determinants of health and competing priorities, such as multiple jobs and child/elder care. A patient can come in and meet with a provider, receive diabetes education, screening for social determinants of health, and screening for eye and foot health. Other elements of the program include provider and clinical pharmacy consultations, house calls, a fruit and vegetable prescription program, along with a “Walk with a Doc” program to encourage increased physical activity.
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley presented Sonny de Rama with a $2,500 check, to aid uninsured diabetic patients, in the VNA’s Diabetic Total Care Program.
You’re invited to a Community Open House, for kids and adults, to see VNA Health Care’s new clinic, located at 323 Weston Avenue, in Aurora, Thursday, July 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. There will be tours, music, giveaways, raffles, lite bites, and frozen treats!
Barb Youngren, chair of the Club’s “Jerry Youngren Diabetic and Therapy Animal Support Fund”, introduced the Schwerha family: Matt, Dani and their four daughters, Elsie, Olive, Sloan, and Blair, along with Olive’s Diabetic Alert Dog, Rez.
Olive Schwerha, an eight year old diabetic, was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of three. She is completely insulin dependent. Her parents Matt and Dani Schwerha added her to a waitlist for a diabetic alert dog, with the Ron and Vicki Santo Diabetic Alert Dog Foundation, when she was six years old. On June 27, Olive received her dog, Rez, who had spent 15 months being trained.
Members in attendance were able to see Rez at work, while Matt and Dani answered questions, explaining the steps involved to make Rez a member of their family.
Saturday, July 12, members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley put our tent up at the Aurora Farmers Market, “Christmas in July”, in downtown Aurora.
The DCFV tent was decorated for Christmas, along with a box full of small toys for children. Members handed out information on diabetes, prediabetes, healthy eating, along with a diabetic recipe booklet.
In partnership with the African American Health Coalition, the IFT Wellness Concert Festival will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19 at Wilder Park Promenade, 350 North River Street, in Aurora. Doors will open at 8 a.m. for the well-being festival where music meets fitness! Enjoy your favorite fitness formats backed by exhilarating music genres via a DJ and drummer! Tickets are $40 at the Door!
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, a true grassroots organization, where all monies raised through dues, donations and fundraising is used in our fight against diabetes. Individual Dues are $50 per year, Corporate Dues are $150 per year, which includes a Sponsorship Listing on the club’s website: www.diabeteshelpnearme.com
Interested in joining with us in our fight against diabetes, or have questions about the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, please call, text or send an E-mail to club president, Russ George, 630-205-9065 or send Email: Diabetesclubfv@gmail.com
Please continue to keep informed about our club’s upcoming events, by following us in The Voice, on Facebook, and on our website: diabeteshelpnearme.com