The V.I. Diabetes Center of Excellence (VIDCOE) is ramping up efforts to help Virgin Islanders treat and manage diabetes in what Executive Director Dr. Julia Sheen called the Diabetes Mobile Health Initiative.
To aid in those efforts, VIDCOE unveiled a newly renovated mobile health unit complete with an intake area and exam rooms. The nonprofit also plans to install a telemedicine cart and it acquired a wheelchair-accessible passenger van to help transport patients to VIDCOE’s brick-and-mortar location in La Grande Princesse, St. Croix.
Sheen, who is a former commissioner of the V.I. Health Department said the initiative will allow the nonprofit to bring the same services it provides at its La Grande Princesse office to rural and underserved parts of the big island. Sheen said VIDCOE is focused on reducing A1C — a measure of blood glucose levels — for patients who have uncontrolled diabetes and reaching people who have diabetes but who were never diagnosed.
“So that’s really important, and especially because 16.6 percent of our population have diabetes,” she said. Sheen said the V.I. Health Department recently released a report that identified areas in the territory with high prevalence of diabetes, giving the mobile unit subdivisions to focus on.
“Our goal for now is to be in the community once a week,” Sheen said, adding that the nonprofit has already had requests for them to visit eldercare homes. The unit will also make an appearance at events like Agrifest and jump ups. “We plan to be out and about, serving the community and trying to reach those that are either out of control or people that don’t even know they have diabetes.”
Dr. Donna Christensen, former Delegate to Congress, sits on VIDCOE’s board of directors. Christensen said the kind of education provided by the nonprofit hasn’t always been available to Virgin Islanders — “especially not in one place.”
“You have to go to an office here, an office there,” she said.
Sheen added that VIDCOE is striving to create a “medical home” for people with diabetes where they can receive all of the services they need under one roof and, eventually, partner with the V.I. Health Department and local health care providers so that “when you come to our center, you’re getting all of your needs met — as opposed to going all over to … have those appointments.”
Sheen lauded Del. Stacey Plaskett for securing funding through Congressionally-designated Community Project Funding money. The mobile unit was restored and designed for VIDCOE by medical solutions company Lifeline Mobile.
On Saturday, Lifeline’s Ken Guse gave two of the mobile unit’s new drivers a rundown of the vehicle.
“I was interested because I have a military background — concerning operating heavy vehicles and operating heavy equipment — and I think it’s a good help for the community,” said Terence Aaron. “So I think this will help the community a whole lot concerning diabetes and making sure that the community gets what they need to get better.”
“It’s a very durable vehicle — works very well, and I’m looking forward to operating it,” he added.
