Aloha … from BethCFree Diabetes Education Expo upcoming Nov. 6
After 25 years caring for area residents,
Dr. William Minsinger retires from Gifford
RANDOLPH, Oct. 20, 2009 – Gifford Medical Center will hold its annual Diabetes Education Expo on Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Randolph hospital’s Conference Center.
The free expo is designed to help those with diabetes live healthier.
Nationally, 23.6 million people, or 8 percent of the population, are thought to have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
In Vermont, the disease affects more than 55,000 people, according to the Department of Health.
Diabetes is marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from the body not producing or improperly using insulin – the hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy for daily living.
Gifford Diabetes Coordinator Jennifer Stratton, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian, calls the disease “an epidemic.”
The hospital has a Diabetes Clinic and on-staff endocrinologist to help Vermonters manage their diabetes and improve their health. The free Diabetes Education Expo is another way the hospital helps address the epidemic by educating the growing number of diabetes sufferers in central Vermont about the evolving disease and what new help is available.
The expo includes a variety of speakers and vendors. Information booths open at 9 a.m. Gifford endocrinologist Dr. Susanne Trost talks at 10 a.m. about “Bariatric Surgery.” At 10:45 a.m., Gifford dietitian Stacy Pelletier speaks about “Healthy Cooking on a Budget,” and Gifford’s chefs Ed Striebe and Steve Morgan following the discussion with an always-popular 11 a.m. cooking demonstration.
At noon, lunch is served to those who have pre-registered by Oct. 30. And at 1 p.m., Dick Smith of diabetes care product supplier Neighborhood Diabetes discusses the “Emotional Side of Diabetes.” The day ends with raffle drawings from 2-2:30 p.m.
“Our goal is to address a variety of concerns diabetics share, including how to manage their health through a good diet and deal with emotional significance of having this chronic disease,” Stratton said. “From informational booths, participants will also see new self-management tools.
“This really is an event for any and all diabetics.”
Seating is limited. Participants must register by calling Stratton at the Diabetes Clinic at Gifford’s Kingwood Health Center at 728-7100. Learn more about other services for diabetics, including support group classes, by clicking on the "Diabetes Clinic" link on the Services section of this site.
Expo schedule
9 a.m. Information booths open
10-10:45 a.m. Gifford endocrinologist Dr. Susanne Trost discusses “Bariatric Surgery”
10:45-11 a.m. “Healthy Cooking on a Budget” talk by Gifford dietitian Stacy Pelletier
11 a.m. to noon Gifford chefs Ed Striebe and Steve Morgan give a cooking demonstration
12-1 p.m. Lunch
1-2 p.m. The “Emotional Side of Diabetes” from Dick Smith of Neighborhood Diabetes
2-2:30 p.m. Raffle drawings