STHS Partnering With Prominence Health Plan to Host Inaugural Diabetes Expo

The Prevent, Treat & Beat Diabetes Symposium will offer age-appropriate education, activities and screenings aimed at combating the threat of diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley 

Without a doubt, the Rio Grande Valley is a diabetes hotspot. With its high rates of obesity, poverty, health illiteracy and as a predominantly Hispanic region, the disease runs rampant — above the state average of 11.4%, according to the CDC.

This doesn’t have to be the case. For the most part, by maintaining a healthy lifestyle — a balanced diet, staying active and getting regular checkups — the most common forms of diabetes can be prevented. Education is the first step to understanding how to minimize risks.

To raise awareness about the dangers of diabetes and encourage the community to prioritize their health, South Texas Health System and Prominence Health Plan are partnering for an inaugural conference and expo: The Prevent, Treat & Beat Diabetes Symposium.

STHS and Prominence, in partnership with South Texas College, are inviting the entire family, as well as diabetes caregivers, to learn more about healthy living, diabetes management, self-care and more. The full day conference will feature an expo offering health screenings and educational information from local providers on programs and services available to the community in their quest to achieve a healthy lifestyle, as well as multiple hour-long sessions led by physicians, dieticians, counselors and exercise therapists tailored to specific tracks: seniors, adults/families, children, caregivers, and a miscellaneous track that will talk mental health and other issues related to diabetes — all in effort to empower the community to understand and defeat diabetes.

About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-hospital healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four hospital campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral Health campus location. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan, and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level II Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, a specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and six freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen and Alamo. For more information on the system, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

About Prominence Health Plan
Prominence Health Plan began in 1993 as a health maintenance organization (HMO) and became of a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) in 2014. They provide coverage to more than 60,000 fully insured, self-funded and Medicare Advantage members throughout Nevada and parts of Texas. Prominence operates seven Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in California, Florida, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Washington D.C., which are managed care systems that benefit communities by providing coordinated, high-quality care to Medicare patients. For more information about Prominence Health Plan, visit ProminenceHealthPlan.com or ProminenceMedicare.com. Parent company UHS ranks 275 on the 2017 Forbes 500 list of America’s largest corporations and consistently ranks among Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.