Your BMC

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly one in 10 American adults has diabetes, and 20 percent of those with diabetes don’t even know it. At Boston Medical Center (BMC), through our Health Equity Accelerator and Clinical Diabetes Program, we continue to find comprehensive ways to care for patients with diabetes. We provide services that support health and diabetes management across all areas of life, such as a clinical pharmacist for personalized medication and blood glucose monitoring guidance. We also offer diabetes education and diabetes essentials classes where patients learn tips on how to maintain a healthy weight through exercise and a balanced diet, how to care for their diabetes when sick with another illness like the flu, the best ways to manage blood sugar levels, how to troubleshoot medical equipment like an insulin pump, and more.

“I was surprised by the team concept because I came from a time when you only had a physician. That was your main person to talk to. But now there's a full team involved, and I can get in touch with them easily, which I find to be crucial,” says BMC patient Miguel Balboa.

Mental Health Support for Managing Diabetes

• You are 50-80 years old (Medicare pays for annual screenings until age 77)

• You have a smoking history of at least 20 pack years (such as one pack per day for 20 years or 1/2 pack per day for 40 years)

• You are a current smoker

• You are a former smoker who quit within the past 15 years

Cigarette smoking is the #1 risk factor for lung cancer, but it’s never too late to quit! If you are a smoker, our team of tobacco-trained specialists, pulmonologists, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, and behavioral health specialists at BMC's Tobacco Treatment Center can help you understand what it might take to quit smoking and offer you a personalized plan to help.

Other ways to reduce your risk of lung cancer include reducing exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, eating a healthy diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables, and exercising regularly to keep your heart and lungs healthy.

Early detection is the best way to prevent serious disease. If you currently smoke, previously smoked, or are sometimes around smoke, knowing the health of your lungs is critical. The expert team at BMC's Lung Cancer Screening program is available to help answer any questions. You can call them at 617-638-5864.

Are the "Winter Blues" Real?

The “winter blues” are feelings of loneliness or sadness that occur in the fall and winter months. Why does this happen? Our bodies crave light and outdoor activities. With the change of season comes shorter days with less sunlight and colder temperatures that may limit our ability to get outside. The particularly rainy summer in New England has limited everyone’s ability to get outside and do the things we love, causing some people to experience the “winter blues” earlier than usual this year. These feelings are common and tend to pass and improve over time. If feelings of loneliness and depression due to the weather worsen or become long-lasting, ask your doctor to evaluate you for seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

BMC neurologist Sanford Auerbach, MD suggests these tips to help ease SAD symptoms: