Somos el Futuro Conference to be Held in Albany to Bring Health Issue to the Forefront

Albany, NY (March 21, 2012) - Montefiore Medical Center, NYS Assemblyman Peter Rivera and NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera will sponsor a workshop entitled, "Obesity and Diabetes in our Community" as part of the 25th Anniversary Somos el Futuro Conference to be held in Albany on Saturday, March 24 from 1:45-3:30 pm.

Topics to be covered include the role of nutrition, childhood diabetes, the consequences of diabetes and advocacy.

Montefiore experts Peter Selwyn, MD, Director, Office of Community Health, Montefiore, Rubina Heptulla, MD, Chief, Pediatric Endocrinology, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Joel Zonszein, MD, Director, Clinical Diabetes Center, and Julie Ramos, MD, cardiologist, Montefiore-Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care, will join the elected officials on a panel that will explore how obesity and diabetes affect the minority communities in the Bronx and throughout New York State. Additional panelists include Jane Bedell, MD, Bronx District office, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Agnieska Zucco-Adams, Assistant Director of Administrative Services, 1199 SEIU League Job Security Fund and Training Center, and Susan Beane, MD, Medical Director, HealthFirst.

"Over 700,000 New Yorkers have diabetes - almost a third don't know they have it yet. More than 100,000 New Yorkers with very poorly controlled diabetes are at high risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. Though serious, diabetes can be prevented and controlled but we must have effective outreach, detection and prevention strategies to combat diabetes and its causes (such as obesity)," said New York State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Peter M. Rivera.

"As part of our strategic alliances with our legislative and community partners, we welcome this opportunity to bring this important issue to the forefront," said Roberto S. Garcia, Senior Director of Community Relations and Governmental Affairs, Montefiore Medical Center. "Obesity and diabetes have reached epic proportions and we seek to actively educate members of our community to help them prevent the harmful effects on their overall health and well-being."

"I am proud to join Assembly Member Peter Rivera and Montefiore Medical Center in sponsoring a workshop at the Somos el Futuro Conference on how to address high rates of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes in the Latino community," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "As elected officials, community leaders and health providers, we have to work together to raise awareness and tackle issues of obesity and disease with preventative medicine as well as better nutrition, access to healthy foods and exercise.