More than 20,000 people began assembling in south central Los Angeles early on a January Saturday morning. As the crowd grew, two large lines began forming on opposite sides of the block-long parking lot where the annual Interfaith Community Day was held.

During the Community Day event, participants shared as much food as people could carry away, plus new clothing, health care services and employment opportunities. Twenty new cars were raffled off.

Among the faith groups offering demonstrations, information and services was the Southern California Conference Community Services’ health van, coordinated by James G. Lee, Jr., SCC Community Services director. Said Lee, “Several former Adventists, seeing our van, stopped for pre-screening or to say hello. We will definitely be back at the Community Day event next year to offer services and to let people know that we care.”

A volunteer team helped residents complete a pre-screening form designed to identify people at risk for diabetes and diabetic complications. The new Diabetes Risk-Assessment screening test is a simple 10-question survey developed at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC). Those shown to be at risk were offered free follow-up testing provided by GAMC and White Memorial Medical Center two weeks later.

According to Robert Nicoloff, M.D., who adapted the new screening test for this use, “It typically takes 10 years for an individual to realize they have diabetes. During that time they are at risk for developing eye, kidney, nerve and/or heart disease. This screening form will facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, including lifestyle changes of high-risk individuals.” The form was adapted from one developed earlier by the American Diabetes Association.

Health-care professionals were available on the van for lifestyle counseling and blood pressure screening. Because the food giveaway and car raffle drew hundreds of residents to stand in lines, some volunteers took the pre-screening forms to the lines.

Despite the din of amped-up music, talking and activity around them, people participated. A total of 200 people were pre-screened, 75 of them (38 percent) scoring as high risk for diabetes. Two weeks later, these individuals were offered free screening with a diabetic finger-stick test and glucose-tolerance test after fasting.

The follow-up screening was held at the Ephesus Church, headquarters for the 3-D Family Health Center, which began offering services on a limited basis in November 2003.

The actual screening, staffed by a team of student nurses coordinated by GAMC, drew only seven of the 75 persons who had been scheduled and confirmed for the screening. According to Bruce Nelson, GAMC Community Services director and screening coordinator, “While the follow-up only drew seven persons, those seven individuals significantly benefited from the screening interactions. The response rate illustrates the difficulty associated with working with high-risk populations, and shows the need for developing creative strategies for conducting health screening activities.”