MedStar Health to Host Free Food Rx Event at Franciscan Center for National Diabetes Month

Community welcome to participate in talks, risk assessment screenings and food distribution.

BALTIMORE—MedStar Health is bringing diabetes experts and clinicians to the community for a Food Rx event aimed at raising awareness of the potentially devastating health consequences of uncontrolled diabetes. The event will be held Nov. 23rd at the Franciscan Center, 101 W. 23rd St., Baltimore from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States with over 37-million people affected, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Maryland, ten percent of the adult population has diabetes, and an estimated 39,000 people don’t know they have it, greatly increasing their health risks. Left uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to complications that include heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure, blindness and even death.

“In three years, the death rate due to diabetes in Maryland has increased by 15%,” said emergency physician, Lucas Carlson, MD, who is the regional medical director for MedStar Health’s Care Transformation in Baltimore City. “Our Food Rx program is one of the ways MedStar Health has committed to helping patients who live with diabetes and food insecurity. We are going into the community to educate; to share the importance of close medical follow-up and provide medically tailored nutrition support.”

Physicians and registered dietitians will be on-hand at the event to answer questions about living with diabetes, using food as medicine to improve health. Two 30-minute discussions are scheduled:

11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Healthy eating on a budget: Speaker Tornia Anderson-Morgan, RD, LDN

11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. – 3 simple rules to eating with diabetes: Speaker Nancy Rozgony, RD, LDN

Activities include food distribution provided by Maryland Food Bank, Hungry Harvest, and First Fruits Farm; blood pressure screenings and diabetes risk assessments (including medical referrals); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) sign-up and re-certifications, mental health resources, health food samples, games and prizes.

The Food Rx program is available to referred diabetes patients at MedStar Good Samaritan, MedStar Harbor Hospital and MedStar Frankin Square Medical Center to help patients with diabetes improve their health. By working closely with patients, the program has been shown to help lower hemoglobin A1C, lose weight, reduce emergency department visits, and decrease medical expenses.

“Our goal is to end the devastating outcomes associated with the complications of uncontrolled diabetes,” Dr. Carlson said.