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FREE DIABETES, HEALTH SCREENINGS TO BE HELD SATURDAY IN
BROWNSVILLE
AT NEW FOOT CARE INSTITUTE OPENING
Brownsville -- Free diabetes and health
screenings will be held in Brownsville this Saturday morning (Nov.
15) from 8 a.m. to 12 noon during the grand opening for a new Foot
Care Institute in the Edelstein Professional Building, across from
the Emergency Entrance of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville
on W. Jefferson Street.
The new Foot Care Institute offers specialized care for foot and
ankle problems which can help prevent tragic disabilities and
amputations in diabetes and other patients in the Brownsville area.
The institute also focuses on early intervention, patient education,
and preventing problems from occurring in the first place.
The free screenings on Saturday, which will be offered by the Valley
Baptist Diabetes Education Center, include total cholesterol level,
body composition analysis, foot screening, blood sugar testing, and
blood pressure testing. Also available is a free screening for
peripheral vascular disease, which looks at circulation in your feet
and lower legs. This particular screening requires an appointment,
which can be made by calling toll-free 1-888-902-LIFE (5433). Also
available is a lipid panel, which looks at HDL, LDL and
triglycerides at a charge of $10, with overnight fasting required.
Diabetes Education Center representatives will also be on hand with
important information about managing diabetes. Refreshments and door
prizes will also be available at the event, which is free and open
to the community.
Dr. Jose Ayala, DPM, CWS, Director of the new Foot Care Institute,
noted that many patients who are afflicted with foot and ankle
problems have diabetes. “It is important for these patients to know
the implications diabetes can have – and to seek early treatment,”
he said.
Dr. Ayala said some of the patients he sees at the hospital come in
with open wounds, but more often than not, the patient doesn’t
realize the complications that wounds can cause if not treated
properly.
Some people have the misconception that applying an ointment or a
liquid to a wound will take care of the problem. “But that is not
the solution,” Dr. Ayala said. “That is why we are emphasizing that
prevention must be a priority -- to prevent a major problem from
developing.”
“If we detect a problem in its early stages, we can often take care
of it within two weeks,” Dr. Ayala added. “But if not properly
treated, that same problem could eventually lead to an amputation.”
When a patient loses a foot or leg, there can be tragic consequences
for the patient and the entire family, as amputation affects the
person’s ability to work and function in daily life. “We would like
to send a message to people from throughout the area that we have a
Foot Care Institute to help them before they become another
statistic,” Dr. Ayala said.
Marisa Aguilar, Clinical Research Coordinator and Clinic Director of
the Wound Care Center at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville,
said the new Foot Care Institute in Brownsville will make important
preventative services more accessible to patients in Cameron County.
The Foot Care Institute is located in Suite 170 of Valley Baptist’s
Edelstein Professional Building, 800 West Jefferson in Brownsville.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
more information, call (956) 698-5052 or visit
www.valleybaptist.net
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