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Free Diabetes Foot & Health Clinic for the Underserved Community

The 8^th UMass Diabetes Foot Screening & Health Clinic for the underserved population was held Saturday, June 15 in Leominster, MA at the South Middlesex Non-Profit Housing Corporation (SMOC). The shelter houses men and women with a mission to improve equity, wellness and quality of life for diverse individuals and families by providing advocacy, education, and a wide range of services; building a community of support and inclusion; and creating awareness to combat poverty through partnerships and coalitions with other organizations.

UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence (DCOE) volunteers included Endocrinologist Dr. Asem Ali and two of his children, Nutritionist Victoria Andersen and Ambulatory Services Representative Vee Rivera. Vascular Surgery, Podiatry, Cardiology, Financial Services, and other departments from UMass Chan Medical School & UMass Memorial Health checked vitals, provided foot exams, point-of-care lab testing, wound care & more. Each participant received a pair of sneakers & socks donated by Sneakerama, hot food was served, and other resources were available to attendees.

The inaugural multidisciplinary outreach clinic was held on World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2020 at the Saint Francis Xavier Center in Worcester’s canal district. The bi-annual event has since been held at mutiple locations. Organizer Tammy Nguyen, MD, PhD, combined her interests in vascular surgery, diabetic wound healing and homeless medicine to provide necessary health resources to this underserved population.

"Our goal in starting these was to bring accessible healthcare to homeless and underserved individuals with regular outreach clinics to prevent diabetic foot ulcers and other complications from diabetes,” said Dr. Nguyen, a vascular surgeon-scientist who is conducting research about why people with diabetes experience problems with wound healing.

UMass Memorial DCOE endocrinologists, nurse practitioners, certified diabetes care & education specialists (CDCES) and registered dietitians provide examinations, distribute information and schedule follow-up appointments as necessary.

“I’ve met with dozens of people at these clinics who have diabetes and many of them told me about family and friends who also struggle with it,” said Victoria Andersen, clinical nutritionist & diabetes educator. “They were interested in knowing what their blood sugars were and learning how to manage them. It's rewarding to empower people with diet and lifestyle education so they can live their best lives.”

Past clinics were held at the Worcester YMCA, Veteran's Inc., Aids Project Worcester and the Athol Area YMCA. They continue to grow, both in terms of the number of attendees and services provided.

"These events allow me to show and explain to people how they can make choices in accordance with their health goals," said Andersen. "We provide information about lifestyle modifications they can make to reduce their risk of developing serious complications caused by diabetes."