The UTRGV School of Medicine will host a free symposium for health care professionals and the general public on diabetes care management from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday in the Edinburg Medical Education Building Auditorium.
“It’s all about diabetes,” said Dr. Andrew Dentino, chair of internal medicine and assistant dean for interprofessional education. “Diabetes is the No. 1 public health problem in the [Rio Grande] Valley and with prevalence in anywhere from 20 to 40 percent throughout the Valley. … It’s really the No. 1 reason why we all need to join hands here.”
The event is intended to provide information to health care providers on the complexities of patients with diabetes, how to best meet their needs and its presence in Valley communities.
“The ravages of diabetes never rest,” Dentino said. “Diabetes is a lifelong process and diabetes can be either stymied or kept away or prolonged or delayed. … Everyone from infancy to old age can be impacted.”
Eight speakers will be featured with specialties varying from endocrinology, infectious diseases, podiatry, population health and preventative medicine. Speakers will be available to answer questions.
Aside from Dentino, they are
— Dr. Belinda Reininger, chair of Population & Behavioral Health;
— Dr. Jose Campo-Maldonado, assistant professor of Internal Medicine;
— Dr. Michelle Cordoba-Kissee, director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program;
— Dr. Janani Krishnaswami, director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Program;
— Dr. Deepu George, clinical assistant professor of Family & Preventive Medicine;
— Dr. Adrian Sandoval, clinical assistant professor of Family & Preventive Medicine;
— and Dr. Joseph Caporusso, POI community adviser.
Dentino was also part of the planning committee behind the symposium, which started in late 2017.
“We wanted to look at all age groups and all people in the Valley,” he said. “So, the planning involved the most representative and diverse group of people we could to speak for Valley citizens’ needs. That was our goal in the planning process.”
For more information, email askutrgvsom@utrgv.edu.
