Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Diabetes awareness and checkups focus of health fair

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Sunday, November 5, 2000

Diabetes awareness and checkups focus of health fair

By Jason Ma
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

A health-care worker with South Texas Eye Consultants checks Isaiah Rivera’s eye pressure on Saturday for indications of glaucoma during a diabetes health fair at Solomon P. Ortiz International Center.

People at risk for diabetes got medical advice and free examinations Saturday at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center, as National Diabetes Awareness Month began.
   About 250 participated in a fund-raising walk along the bayfront in the morning, and another 150 were examined for signs of diabetes later in the day. At the most recent count, about $35,000 was raised for the American Diabetes Association, approaching the goal of $40,000.
   Organized by the Corpus Christi Medical Center, Christus Spohn Health System and the American Diabetes Association, the health fair aimed to inform people of the possibility of having or developing the disease.
   About half of the estimated 33,000 people in Nueces County with diabetes don't know they have it, said Carol Garcia, a program coordinator for diabetes education at the Corpus Christi Medical Center.
   "A lot of people who have it don't have insurance," she said. "A lot of complications can be prevented if this (health fair) can be available to make the public aware that they can prevent it and it can be treated."
   She added that non-Anglos are showing disproportionately higher cases of diabetes than Anglos. As a result, she said event organizers tried to raise awareness of diabetes in the Hispanic community.
   Jane Haas, director of wellness services at Christus Spohn Health Care, said about one-third of patients at Christus Spohn hospitals have diabetes-related problems.
   "Health fairs provide excellent opportunities for people to get a free test," she said.
   Garcia said cases of diabetes are expected to increase, especially among children. Because of unhealthy diets and little exercise, children who are already genetically predisposed to the disease are developing it more frequently.
   "That's so preventable, just by changing lifestyle and diet," she said. But "diabetes is growing in epidemic proportions."
   Among the tests offered were blood, foot, eye, urine, skin and body fat tests. And as hoped, those without health insurance took advantage of the event.
   Benny Galvez was previously diagnosed with diabetes and attended the heath fair to get a checkup on his condition. A custodian, he said he doesn't make enough money to afford a doctor.
   "I figured I better come," he said. "I just want to find out where I'm at."
   Carol Gonzales came to the health fair because she worried that she had developed diabetes. She said she has a family history of the disease and was last told by a doctor that she was on the verge of having it.
   "I'm on the borderline," she said. "Hopefully, I'm still down there."



Staff writer Jason Ma can be reached at 886-3778 or by e-mail at maj@caller.com

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