Maui Health System to Host Diabetes Day Community Health Fair

Maui Memorial Medical Center, courtesy photo.

A free community health fair to celebrate World Diabetes Day will be hosted by Maui Health System on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

The 3rd Annual Diabetes Day event will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and will include informational booths, entertainment, prizes and guest speakers from the Maui medical community lending their expertise on diabetes prevention and management.

Event schedule is as follows:

4 to 5 p.m. Maui Memorial Medical Center Courtyard

• Informational booths featuring various health and wellness organizations
• Low-impact exercise and hula demonstrations
• Complimentary refreshments
• Enter-to-win prize drawings

5 to 6:30 p.m. Maui Memorial Medical Center Auditorium
Guest speakers:

• Dr. Mehtap Berkmen, Endocrinologist (Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i)
• Marny Hall-Moriyasu, DNP, RN, BC-ADM, Nurse Manager (Maui Memorial Medical Center)
• Karen Robbins Ph.D., R.D., C.D.E., FSHN Lecturer (University of Hawai‘i Maui Campus)

Complimentary valet parking will also be offered.

The American Diabetes Association reports one in nine (approximately 155,000) people in Hawai‘i have diabetes and another 460,000 have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. 90% of those at risk don’t know they are prediabetic.

“Education is critical to preventing type 2 diabetes and the only way we can fight this epidemic,” said Jolly Uclaray, Maui Memorial Medical Center diabetes educator. “We are thankful for all the participating organizations who, like Maui Health System, work hard to keep our community healthy through events like these.”

In addition to the annual community event, Maui Health System also offers free monthly classes that are open to the public.

The Diabetes Support Group meets on the second Wednesday of every month at Maui Memorial Medical Center and provides education, skills and other resources to diabetes patients and their families. Each meeting focuses on a different topic and special guest speakers provide specialized expertise on daily management and ways to prevent diabetes.