South Side Chicago Students Participate in Diabetes Awareness Screening and Treatment Program

CHICAGO, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the retail clinic division of CVS Caremark Corporation, has joined a coalition of organizations dedicated to raising diabetes awareness among families on Chicago's South Side. The coalition is working with Perspectives Charter School Calumet Campus to educate, screen, diagnose and, if needed, provide follow-up care to any student diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Members of the coalition are:  MinuteClinic; University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago Medical Center; Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation; Jay Cutler Foundation; Chicago Diabetes Project; and Access Community Health Network.

The idea for the screening program was conceived when the Jay Cutler Foundation and CVS Caremark approached Greater-Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GADC) about conducting a childhood diabetes awareness campaign.  GADC, which works to foster and promote revitalization of low-to-moderate income Chicago neighborhoods, sees the campaign as a natural extension of its ongoing community health fairs, also sponsored by CVS Caremark. This pilot program facilitated by GADC will serve as a model for the Cutler Foundation's expansion of diabetes testing to other Chicago neighborhoods.

"GADC recognizes that the health and the education of Auburn-Gresham children are fundamentally linked," said Carlos Nelson, GADC executive director. "Partners like the Cutler Foundation and CVS Caremark allow us to help influence the lives of young people in positive, healthy ways."

"The epidemic of obesity in America affects 17 percent of all children and adolescents and more than 215,000 youth under 20 have already been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes," said Tobias Barker, M.D., Vice President of Medical Operations, MinuteClinic.  "Through this program, MinuteClinic and other coalition members can help a group of children on Chicago's South Side whose diabetes might otherwise go undiagnosed or untreated until serious health complications result."

A diabetes overview for Perspectives parents was held in April and students are eligible to receive a diabetes screening this week that includes measuring height, weight and BMI (body mass index) and providing a blood glucose test if necessary.

"Our foundation is very excited to be teaming up with all these great partners to help to spread awareness about diabetes to students and parents in Chicago's South Side," said Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, a diabetes patient himself.  "I personally know what a serious condition diabetes can be and it's a good thing to make sure the community is educated about diabetes as well as having these students receive proper screening."

Students diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes will receive a free follow up visit at Access Community Health Network and may also select to receive care from a University of Illinois Hospital specialist. 

Students from other schools in Chicagoland can visit one of Access Community Health Network's 60 Chicagoland health centers to receive a diabetes screening.  Students must meet Access' enrollment requirements, which include parental consent for most services.

MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics are located inside 35 CVS/pharmacy stores in Chicagoland (Illinois and Northwest Indiana). Additional information on diabetes screening services, can be found on the MinuteClinic website.

About MinuteClinic

MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail medical clinics in the United States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics with approximately 600 locations in 25 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to patient demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has provided care to more than 11 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating. MinuteClinic is the first retail health care provider to receive accreditation (2006) and reaccreditation (2009) from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.minuteclinic.com.

SOURCE MinuteClinic