On October 21, 2017, the Coppell Lions Club held their first free Diabetes Screening event at St. Luke Catholic Church in Irving, TX. The “Diabetes Awareness: Screen and Educate,” event was collaboratively provided by the Irving DFW Indian Lions Club and the Primary Care Clinic of North Texas.

 The goal of the program was to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes for patients 18 years old and older, and offer additional medical information. A volunteer team of medical professionals provided various testing, such as the Hemoglobin A1C , a blood test that determines the average levels of  blood sugar or commonly called glucose over the last three months.  A value of 5.7 to 6.5 is categorized as “pre-diabetic”, whereas a value over 6.5 is considered “diabetic”.

 The event included a Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP), which is a blood test that measures your sugar levels, electrolytes, as well as kidney and liver function. The medical team also administered free blood pressure readings, measurements of weight, height and body mass index, and complimentary Spot Vision Screening.

 The program offered further education through a presentation as provided by Alicia Bell, a diabetes educator Methodist Charlton Medical Center, along with Angie Cruz, director at Methodist Health System and co-leader of the event. The presentation provided valuable tips regarding proper dietary adjustments. At the conclusion of the presentation, a lucky participant won a free iPad as a raffle prize.

 “This Diabetes Screening event provided services that offer critical medical information and education. Measuring these health indicators provides a bigger picture in achieving a better quality of life”, said Jun Cruz, team leader of the Coppell Lion’s Club.

 “With members of the Coppell Lions Club and volunteers from St Luke Catholic Church who assisted in making this event possible, everyone had a great time serving our community” said Coppell Lions Club President Dan Madden.

 For more information about the Coppell Lions Club and future club events, please visit coppelllions.org org. or visit us on Facebook: “Coppell Lions Club”.