By Virginia Volkman, Library Director
Sedona AZ (June 6, 2014) – Public libraries across the United States are more than just books; they play an important role in building the overall well-being of a community. For more than a year, Sedona Public Library has been helping to improve wellness by screening and educating community members at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
As part of its mission to meet the needs of the community, the Library will offer another free health screening on Tuesday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room. Provided by Northern Arizona Healthcare, the screening measures cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood glucose, with no fasting required.
The first health screening was held at the Library in February 2013, after Joy Pietropaulo, RN BSHSA, approached me with the offer to provide this as a free service, with funding from a grant. She felt that the welcoming environment of the library would make it a good location for the program, and so we formed a partnership and found temporary space for the service near the entrance to the community room.
The screenings then continued on a regular basis at the Library, but funding for the Northern Arizona Diabetes-Heart Connection program through the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is no longer available. Due to the popularity and success of the program, we hoped to find a way to continue the screenings.
One example of the program’s success is the story of a couple who changed their lifestyles and eating habits, and is on the path to better health. In a letter they expressed their thanks: “…Wanted to thank you for opening our eyes to the severity of how bad our health issues were. With your help we were able to make a change. We had no clue how serious it was.”
Thanks to a generous grant to the Library from the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation, the Library will be offering one health screening a month for the rest of this year. Starting in June, the screenings will be funded by the Marley Foundation grant. Watch for additional Sedona Library outreach programs that that will be funded through this grant.
“Diabetes Truths and Myths: Are You at Risk?” is the topic of the June Take Note Sedona lecture series, which is sponsored by Verde Valley Medical Center. The Thursday, June 12, lecture features board-certified internal medicine physician Andrea Gonzalez, M.D. The free presentation is from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room.
More than 25 million adults in the United States are living with diabetes; two-thirds of them are 65 years of age and older. Join Dr. Gonzalez to learn about the types of diabetes, causes, risk factors, symptoms, complications and how to manage this serious health condition. To R.S.V.P. or for more information on this event, call 928-639-6551.
Sedona Public Library, a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is grateful for the support of the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation and of the entire Sedona community. We rely on your tax-deductible donations to keep services free for residents and visitors.