Downtown Health Plaza Receives March of Dimes Grant

January 23, 2004

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Downtown Health Plaza of Baptist Hospital has received a $12,480 grant from the North Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes to provide blood glucose testing supplies to uninsured diabetic expectant mothers receiving prenatal care at the facility.

Diabetic women who do not consistently monitor their blood glucose levels during pregnancy may experience a number of problems including fetal heart defects, organ damage, diabetic coma and even death.

The Downtown Health Plaza’s obstetric nursing staff, in partnership with the Forsyth County Health Department, will manage distribution of glucose monitors and test strips and ensure that all patients in the program receive diabetic management education.

The grant, called the "OB Diabetic Supplies Initiative," was one of only 22 awarded to agencies across the state.

"This grant provides us with another weapon in the battle against poor birth outcomes," said Robert S. Parker, vice president for Home and Community Health at N. C. Baptist Hospital.

The Downtown Health Plaza is located at 1200 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. It provides comprehensive primary and preventative health care services including obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and adult medicine. The facility also has an onsite pharmacy, lab and radiology and specialized services such as:

  • Diabetes Management
  • Dermatology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Hypertension Management
  • Neurology
  • Podiatry
  • Pulmonary Care
  • Kidney Disease Management
  • Outpatient Surgery

It operates Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or after hours by appointment, (336) 713-9700.

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Media Contact: Jim Steele jsteele@wfubmc.edu, Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.

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