SKN Gala will be held at Imperia in Somerset, NJ, on Sunday, September 22.
It is estimated that of the 5.4 million South Asians who live in the United States, 1 in 4 have diabetes. The New York-New Jersey metro area has the largest concentration and fastest growing population of South Asians anywhere in the country. Now, 24% of Middlesex County in New Jersey is estimated to be South Asian.
The high incidence of diabetes in this population and the high concentration of South Asians in central New Jersey present a critical need for culturally competent, quality prevention and care. The SKN South Asian Diabetes Center at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, meets that need.
Launched in 2017, and directed by Dr. Meena Murthy, Chief of Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, the Center’s objective is to identify and treat diabetes at the earliest possible stage. Murthy says, “There is a serious concern for under diagnosis–1 in 2 South Asian patients is undiagnosed–and South Asians are at high risk of diabetes at lower body mass indexes than other populations. They develop serious complications from diabetes at an earlier age.”
More than half of diabetes-related deaths in South Asians occur in people under 60 years of age.
“Disease among South Asians is greatly influenced by genetics and cultural beliefs, each of which can be addressed to improve health outcomes through research, education, and removing barriers to patient care caused by language, culture, and ways of thinking”, said Dr. Naveen Mehrotra, pediatrician and founder of SKN Foundation. “The SKN South Asian Diabetes Center is designed to enhance culturally appropriate care to South Asians in New Jersey, which is an ongoing need within this community.”
The South Asian Diabetes Center is jointly supported by Saint Peter’s University Hospital and the SKN Foundation, and is housed in the Department of Medicine at Saint Peter’s. The Center’s staff includes a full-time program director and an outreach director, but relies heavily on volunteer support from healthcare providers, students, and many champions.
Just this year, the South Asian Diabetes Center reached thousands of South Asians through community awareness events, and provided early detection services and connection to expert care to hundreds of patients, all free of cost. Going forward, the Center’s immediate goal is to scale up and be able to care for thousands of patients. It appears to be well on its way toward its vision of becoming a model patient-centered medical home for culturally appropriate care for South Asians.
This is one of the focus areas of the SKN Gala happening on Sunday, September 22nd at Imperia, Somerset, NJ. Proceeds from the gala will help undertake this important work besides addressing other community issues.
1 Comment
Instead of talking about the disease and trying to disseminate useful info such as preventative measures, dietary and other lifestyle changes if already diabetic, etc. this is nothing but a promotional article about some unheard of dumbass foundation in NJ. who cares about SKN or whatevertheshit its called!! Jeez, this website is such a piece of garbage………. no wonder, its “South Asian”. Again, NO ONE gives a rat’s ass about SKN or its stupid gala. Desis (and I mean it in every pejorative way possible) are nothing but self-serving jacka****