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NMC Mobile Diabetes Center: Vehicle for Health and Learning

Posted by Ashley Bails Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013

Diabetes Education OmahaThe impact of the Mobile Diabetes Center stretches beyond the health benefits it provides to those in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Nebraska Methodist College students use the center as a vehicle to gain experience in the field while working alongside nursing faculty.

The Mobile Diabetes Center is a partnership between the Nebraska Methodist College Center for Health Partnerships and the Cosmopolitan Cornbelt Diabetes Connection. The Mobile Diabetes Center plays an important role in the Nebraska Methodist College Center for Health Partnerships’ work to improve health equity in the community by promoting health awareness and health literacy with a primary focus on disease prevention.

“It’s a great venue for providing screening and education in the community and in a variety of settings, and it’s an excellent opportunity for students to gain professional experience,” said Christine Clancy, assistant professor and Nursing and Mobile Diabetes coordinator.

Here’s how it works:

NMC Nursing faculty and students staff the Mobile Diabetes Center and provide free non-diagnostic diabetes related health screenings. Screenings include blood pressure, blood glucose, height, weight, body mass index and risk screens for undiagnosed pre-diabetes and diabetes. Select locations also provide flu shots, cholesterol checks, hemoglobin A1c tests, foot assessments and nail care.

Students, in return, gain valuable experience in performing these non-diagnostic screenings, learn about glucose regulation in the community and develop their communication and advocacy skills.

The Mobile Diabetes Center aims to reach underserved and underinsured urban and rural communities, but services are not limited to just those populations. Mobile Diabetes Center users not only benefit from the free non-diagnostic diabetes related health screenings, but also from the education provided during the screenings. In some instances, the Mobile Diabetes Center helps facilitate access to health care.

The Mobile Diabetes Center began providing services in January 2011 and continues to grow and serve more communities. This spring, faculty and students from NMC’s sonography programs will offer ankle-brachial index screenings.

 

Topics: community outreach, Center for Health Partnerships

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