By Roger Allen
A free diabetes assessment screening will be available at the Lions Club’s Toy and Craft Show this Saturday, Jan. 29. It will be available only from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon. A nurse from Poweshiek County Public Health will administer the screening Saturday, for which there is no charge.
The Montezuma Lions Club has been one of the sponsors of this comprehensive Diabetes Prevention Program since November 2019.
The project is designed to increase awareness of pre-diabetes by identifying higher-risk individuals, increasing the availability of – and enrollment in – a diabetes prevention program, and developing a referral process to a comprehensive follow-up care program for those identified as pre-diabetic or diabetic. Many people are pre-diabetic and do not know it.
The screening has been funded by a $39,000 grant from Lions Clubs International and $13,000 from local sources including Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC), Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance, Manatt’s, Inc. and Mayflower plus the Lions clubs of Grinnell, Kellogg and Victor in addition to Montezuma.
A wellness coordinator at the hospital in Grinnell leads the pre-diabetes prevention project as the program director. She facilitates the project providing education and risk assessments and will ultimately serve as the lifestyle coach.