Free Flu Shots May Encourage Diabetes Screening

St. Anthony's and Walgreens offer 200 free flu shots at St. Anthony Medical Clinic

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov, 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month, St. Anthony Medical Clinic will be offering free blood sugar check ups, foot exams, body mass index calculations, and tips for learning how to control the risk of becoming diabetic.  In addition, the first 200 participants will receive a free flu shot courtesy of Walgreens Pharmacy. 

WHAT: DIABETES SCREENING DAY AND FREE FLU SHOTS + Take the Big Blue Test
WHEN:  National Diabetes Day
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14^th, 2012:  2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
WHERE: ST. ANTHONY MEDICAL CLINIC
150 GOLDEN GATE AVE, 1^st FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO

St. Anthony's effort to address the staggering rate of diabetes in San Francisco's Tenderloin district comes at a time when nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.  Another 79 million have prediabetes and risk developing type II diabetes.

Diabetes in the Tenderloin 
The Tenderloin district has the highest citywide rate of ambulatory hospitalizations due to diabetes, according to a 2007 Building a Healthier San Francisco's Community Health Assessment, as well as one of the city's highest concentration of people living below the poverty line. The prevalence of Type II diabetes is highest among adults from low-income households.

"Tenderloin residents lack adequate access to nutritious food and safe spaces for exercise, which dramatically impacts two of the leading factors in diabetes management- diet and exercise," noted St. Anthony Medical Clinic Director, Dr. Ana Valdés. "We try to address those factors through education, active medical care, and diabetes management techniques."

St. Anthony Medical Clinic 
Established in 1956, the St. Anthony Medical Clinic is the first Medical Clinic in the United States. It is one of the many free, life-sustaining programs and services of St. Anthony Foundation that helps to heal individuals and families. The Clinic provides over 12,000 patient visits annually, of which approximately 20% are pediatric visits.

SOURCE St. Anthony Foundation