“You have to meet people where they are,” says Temple Diabetes Program Manager Casey Dascher, MBA, RD, CDES. “And what better place to talk about diabetes education and nutrition than a grocery store?”
That was the thinking behind Temple Health’s fourth annual Diabetes Alert Day, held on March 25th at ShopRite of Fox Street. The ShopRite is also home to our Healthy Together Hub, where we offer screenings, testing, and health education to community members, free of charge.
“On Diabetes Alert Day, shoppers could also take advantage of multiple additional services, including nutrition tours, A1C checks, diabetic foot screenings, retinal screenings, and more,” explains Tonja Belo, MSN, RN, CMGT-BC, Senior Care Transition Manager for Population Health.
“We were able to bring expertise from across Temple into the community, from our Family & Community Medicine and Ophthalmology physicians to our School of Podiatry and Temple University nutrition students,” says Lakisha Sturgis, RN, BSN, MPH, CPHQ, Director of Community Care Management for Population Health.
“We focused on diabetes because of its prevalence in our community, as well as the potential for major complications,” Sturgis continues. “Unmanaged diabetes can lead to end-stage renal disease, stroke, heart disease, and eye disease. One of the zip codes adjacent to Fox Street ShopRite has the highest rate of lower limb amputations in the city, and if you don’t manage your diabetes, that’s something you might need. That’s why diabetic foot screenings, like the ones we offered, are so crucial.”
Providing Comprehensive Diabetes Education
Both diabetes management and prevention start with making healthy food choices. “We wanted to give our community members the chance to ask an expert, ‘Hey, I’m dealing with this condition: can you tell me what I should eat, and how I can reduce the amount of sugar in my diet, and which carbohydrates are best?’” says Sturgis.
“We wanted to catch people right before they started shopping and say, ‘Hey, why not consider picking up a majority of non-starchy vegetables?” Dascher adds. “We want people to make their plates as colorful as possible, and we want them to include whole food items: foods with the least amount of ingredients, and ones you can recognize. You can do that while still buying easy-to-prepare options, like a bag of pre-cut, pre-washed, frozen vegetables.”
“Nutrition is linked to our family, our religion, and our culture, so we want to make sure we recognize and celebrate everyone’s individual needs,” Dascher continues. “But at the same time, we have to ask, ‘How is this going to affect you medically?’ I always say, ‘You’re a Ferrari, and we want to make sure you’re using optimal fuel.’”
If shoppers wanted to learn more about our Diabetes Education Program, Dascher’s team was ready to get them connected. “Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Che Smith, RN told them, ‘We have this wonderful outpatient program at Temple,’” Dascher explains. “‘Have your provider complete this referral and fax it to us, or call our Access Center number and sign up for our group classes. We also do individual training, and we’re on-site at multiple locations and available via telehealth. We’re more than just nutrition, too: we talk about diabetes technology, A1C goals, getting your blood sugars to target, exercise, stress management, sleep hygiene, and more.’”
Edoris Lomax, MSW, Program Coordinator for Population Health, also let shoppers know about our Diabetes Prevention Program, which she leads. “This program works with people who have risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes, and may have already been diagnosed with pre-diabetes,” Lomax explains. “We actually have a Diabetes Prevention Program cohort that meets at ShopRite of Fox Street that’s about to complete the program at the end of April. I met most of the members in the current cohort at last year’s Diabetes Alert Day. We’ll be starting a new cohort for 2025 either at the end of April or in early May.”
Bringing Care into the Community
“Improving access to care is really what Temple Health does best,” Sturgis explains. “That’s why having education right in the supermarket where people are doing their-day-to-day shopping, while also providing them with screenings that can make a big difference in their health, is key. This partnership with Fox Street ShopRite has already been so effective, and events like this are a big reason why.”
“We’re so grateful for the opportunity to get out into the neighborhood and provide education,” Dascher agrees. “It fills our cup to be in the community and to be helping people.”
