New Diabetes Support Group in Waycross
A new monthly support group for people with diabetes and their caregivers in Ware County and surrounding areas.
The support group, called the 912 Diabetes Initiative, will meet the first Tuesday of every month in the Community Room at the Railway Express Agency (REA) in downtown Waycross, located at 315 Plant Ave. The kick-off meeting will be held Tuesday, August 5, 7-8 pm.
These monthly meetings will provide valuable educational resources and a chance to connect with others. The Talki Foundation will host expert guest speakers who will present on various topics related to healthy living and managing diabetes.
“Our mission extends beyond providing acute care. We are committed to fostering long-term health and well-being within our community,” said Mitch Mongell, interim CEO. “Managing diabetes is a daily journey, and it often comes with unique challenges and questions. "I'm incredibly proud that our hospital is launching this support group, another testament to its great work in delivering health education and resources to our community."
“Residents here in Southeast Georgia are being devastated by diabetes. These monthly meetings will give everyone an opportunity to educate themselves about their condition,” said Charlie Komons, President of Talki Foundation. “Education and awareness are the first and most important steps in controlling this horrible disease.”
About Talki Foundation
The Talki Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Charlie Komons, is dedicated to assisting low-income diabetic patients in Georgia. The foundation achieves this by raising funds to purchase federally funded insulin. Beyond providing essential medication, The Talki Foundation also strives to raise awareness and promote education about diabetes.
About Memorial Satilla Health
Memorial Satilla Health is a mission-driven, community-based health system with a 231-bed full-service hospital. Our tradition of care began more than 60 years ago and continues today with more than 600 employees, physicians and volunteers. The hospital serves as regional referral center for more than 185,000 residents across nine counties in Southeast Georgia. Key services include a very busy ER where we treat more than 47,000 emergencies each year; our Heart, Cancer, Surgery, Rehabilitation, Sleep and Birthing Centers with specialists trained specifically for these needs; and an extensive Mental Health program for senior adults and those suffering with memory loss.
About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprising 182 hospitals and approximately 2,300 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 35 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives.