Franciscan Health Michigan City is partnering with local churches on a faith-based diabetes prevention initiative. The “Fan Out Diabetes” program will engage the African-American community on the disease through education, free screenings and self-management assistance.
The free program is offered in two companion sessions following Sunday church services. At the first session, diabetes educators will provide a presentation on diabetes with information on healthy eating and exercise tips. Free screenings will be offered, along with insurance enrollment assistance and healthy snacks and giveaways. Guests are asked to also attend a second session with a screening follow-up, health planning and referral information.
The first “Fan Out Diabetes” session was held Sept. 12 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 730 W. 6th Street in Michigan City. The follow-up session will be on Sept. 26.
Subsequent sessions will be at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 10 and 31 at Redeemed Fellowship Church, 7922 W. Pahs Road in Michigan City; and 11 a.m. Nov. 7 and 21 at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 717 E. 10th Street in Michigan City.
Franciscan Health Michigan City Community Health Coordinator Nila Williams said partnering with the churches and pastors is one of the best ways to reach the African-American community. “We want to educate on diabetes, label reading and carb counting,” Williams said. “If we can screen one person at every church, we have made a difference.”
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death and continues to rise in Indiana with a current rate of 10.7 percent. In 2018, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes. African-American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.
“We want to ‘Fan Out Diabetes’
and bring those high rates of this chronic disease down. All churches will
receive fans for their congregation as a gift from Franciscan,” Williams added.
The Fan Out Diabetes program is provided with the support of program sponsors: The LaPorte County Family YMCA, Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program, Healthy Communities of LaPorte County, General Insurance Services and Covering Kids & Families of Indiana.
There is no need to pre-register for the sessions. For further questions and information, email Nila.Williams@FranciscanAlliance.org.
