OKLAHOMA CITY -- An initiative designed to bring healthcare awareness and Medicare education to elder Oklahomans was recently given the 2012 Achievement in Aging Program of the Year award.

The Medicare Part D Diabetes Health Screening Initiative started in 2009 and provides free diabetes detection screenings in northeast Oklahoma. The initiative also provides free screenings for visual acuity, glaucoma, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, lung function and bone density. The initiative has served 900 older Oklahomans in rural areas of northeast Oklahoma through the Oklahoma Lions Club Mobile Health Screening Van.

Sponsoring partners include the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Oklahoma Insurance Department's Senior Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHIP), Grand Gateway Area Agency on Aging, Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Lions Club Foundation.

The award was presented by OKDHS Aging Services Division Director Lance Robertson at the 37th Annual Oklahoma Conference on Aging in Norman.

"The Medicare Part D Diabetes Health Screening Initiative is a great example of organizations working together and combining resources to serve older Oklahomans who might not otherwise have access to healthcare information," said Robertson. "We congratulate them on this award and thank them for meeting this need in northeast Oklahoma."

The annual Acehivement in Aging awards are presented by the OKDHS Aging Services Division. For more information about services for older Oklahomans, call the Senior Info-Line at 1-800-211-2116.

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