LEWISTON — Central Maine Medical Center will sponsor a Diabetes Fair on Saturday, April 5, in the Chairmen’s Room on the lower level of the 12 High Street medical office building.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and the program will conclude about 1 p.m. Exhibitors will display their wares nearby in Room I.

The event will feature presentations by a doctor who specializes in providing care for those with diabetes, and a registered nurse with special expertise as a wellness coach.

Laura E. Trask, MD, an endocrinologist who practices with Central Maine Endocrinology and Diabetes Center, will discuss “’When to Consider an Insulin Pump,” focusing on factors that make the technology beneficial for some people with diabetes.

Insulin pumps are small devices that are programmed to deliver insulin doses in a way that closely mimics the body’s normal release of insulin. For some people with the disease, insulin pumps offer advantages over conventional insulin delivery methods.

Following a free light lunch, registered nurse Rhyanna Larose will talk about “Healthy Nutrition on a Budget,” offering advice about how someone living with diabetes can improve his or her diet at a reasonable cost.

Larose is an occupational health and safety nurse and wellness coach at Geiger in Lewiston.

The Diabetes Fair will also feature a brief talk by an “A1C champion” who is successfully managing diabetes with an insulin pump.

Students from the Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing will provide blood pressure screenings, and the CMMC Health and Fitness Center will offer cholesterol screenings.

Diabetes management device exhibitors at the fair will include:

· Medtronic – maker of the MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time Revel insulin pump, the Guardian REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, and the new MiniMed 530 G with Enlite system.

· Insulet – maker of the Omnipod Insulin Management System.

· Tandem – makers of the T-Slim insulin pump.

Representatives from the office of ophthalmologist Sirus Hamzavi, MD, will be on hand to provide information about visions services for those with diabetes.

Those interested in attending the day’s events are urged to register in advance by calling 795-8448, emailing prevention@cmhc.org, or registering online at www.cmmc.org. Interpreter services are available upon advance request.

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