Today, more than 38 million Americans are living with diabetes, predominantly Type 2, and nearly a quarter of those suffering from the disease are unaware of it. Perhaps even more alarming, another 98 million are prediabetic. And in California alone, an estimated 3.5 million residents have been diagnosed with the disease.

To help combat this growing healthcare crisis, Legacy Health Endowment (LHE) introduced a new program on Tuesday that assists individuals 18 and older who suffer from diabetes or are at risk of developing the disease.

LHE is collaborating with the Kind Clinic – 3650 Geer Road in Turlock (209-633-3014) – to establish the Diabetes Care program. The Kind Clinic is staffed by three skilled physician assistants specializing in primary care, with a focus on assisting those affected by diabetes or prediabetes.

“Managing diabetes can be overwhelming. I know, as I am a Type 2 diabetic,” said Jeffrey Lewis, president of LHE. “Our aim is to dismantle the barriers to effective diabetes care, provide comprehensive support through the Kind Clinic, and ensure affordability of medications at just $2. We must assist people in overcoming this challenging disease, since untreated or uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe health issues such as blindness and kidney failure.”

Benefits for the first 50 participants include:

• Free primary care services
• Free one-on-one counseling with a patient educator
• Medication counseling
• Nutritional counseling
• Medications available for $2 at Tower Pharmacy, 501 E. Olive in Turlock

The program is eligible for individuals 18 and older not enrolled in Medi-Cal, Medicare, or VA coverage and live in one of the zip codes of the LHE’s coverage area.