SKN Foundation to host its Annual Gala to highlight the South Asian Diabetes Education and Resource Center to address the Diabetes Epidemic

By Awesome TV

SKN Foundation to host its Annual Gala to highlight the South Asian Diabetes Education and Resource Center to address the Diabetes Epidemic

We are excited to announce the upcoming gala hosted by the SKN Foundation to support the first ever South Asian institute to address the Diabetes Epidemic. Special Guests for the evening include Vikas Khanna, Celebrated Celebrity Chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, filmmaker, humanitarian and TV judge for Master Chef India, along with Charlie Kimball, IndyCar series driver with type 1 diabetes, and celebrity host Indian Actress and Fashion Designer, Mandira Bedi.

Additional Background:

Shri Krishna Nidhi (SKN) Foundation is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to promote total wellness of the person and community through education. In alignment with its mission, the SKN Foundation, in partnership with Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, operates the South Asian Diabetes Education and Resource Center a comprehensive prevention program with academic, clinical and community support. The program is relevant to all South Asian people as the prevalence of Diabetes has mounted to 80 million people where one out of two do not know they have it.

The SKN South Asian Diabetes Education and Resource Center is located in the Department Medicine, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, 254 Easton Avenue, CARES Building, 4th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. As part of this partnership with Saint Peter’s, SKN Foundation develops awareness and outreach programs on various chronic illnesses, beginning with a diabetes risk assessment in the South Asian community; facilitates access to early detection, self-management and care programs at the South Asian Institute at Saint Peter’s. It also directs and coordinates research on chronic disease at the South Asian Institute, creating South Asian specific educational materials.

“The SKN resource center is designed to enhance culturally appropriate care to South Asians in New Jersey,” Dr. Naveen Mehrotra said, “which is an ongoing need within this community. Disease among South Asians is greatly influenced by genetics and cultural beliefs, each of which can be addressed to positively affect health outcomes through research, education and promotion of equitable patient care.”

Saint Peter’s Thyroid and Diabetes Center, now enhanced by SKN resources, offers early screening with a focus on prevention, comprehensive consultation and management, specialized care for women, Diabetes self-management education, nutritional guidance specific to South Asian diet and South Asian support groups. The center’s Director and a key advisor for SKN Foundation, Dr. Meena Murthy noted: “South Asians residing in the US have the highest burden of diabetes with the prevalence reaching up to 25% in this population, the highest of any ethnic group in USA. More than half are undiagnosed. A silent killer, diabetes leads to premature disability and death with more than half of the deaths in South Asians occurring before age 60.”

Murthy added: “At the Saint Peter’s South Asian Institute we meet the unique health challenges faced by the South Asian people. Our holistic approach is based on respect for the patient’s cultural background, spiritual needs and healthcare values.”