Vermont Business MagazineThepodiatryteam at Gifford Health Care will provide free foot screenings by appointment during a series of five sessions throughout the summer. Open to all Gifford and non-Gifford patients, the screenings will take place at the following central Vermont locations:
June 20at Chelsea Health Center
June 26at Gifford Health Center at Berlin-Specialty Care
July 2at Rochester Health Center
July 11at Sharon Health Center
Aug. 29at Gifford Specialty Care in Randolph
Foot screenings are recommended for those who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, or experiencing foot pain or numbness. During the screenings, Gifford providers will test patients’ blood-glucose levels; examine skin condition, sensitivity, and bone structure of feet; and suggest proper footwear or follow-up recommendations.
The Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) recommend annual foot screenings for diabetics over age 50. “In the United States, the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy [damage to the nerves that travel to our arms and legs] is diabetes,” theAPMAreports. “According to the American Diabetes Association, 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes will develop neuropathy within their lifetime.”
Other causes of nerve damage include acute injury, medications, heredity, infections, advanced age, arthritis, alcoholism, and neurological disorders.
For more information about foot screenings and to schedule an appointment, call 802-728-2470. For more information about Gifford, visitgiffordhealthcare.orgor email[email protected].
Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, Rochester, and White River Junction; and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; a day care; two adult day programs; and the 30-bed Menig Nursing Home, which was named byU.S. News & World Reportas one of the best 39 nursing homes in the country in 2012. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries, and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care.Thehospital’s mission is to improve individuals’ and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.