Rockdale Medical Center and Rockdale Physician Practices are bringing awareness to a serious chronic disease by hosting a free diabetes focused event, Healthy Living with Diabetes, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m . This event is open to the public and no registration is required.

The Healthy Living with Diabetes event will feature physician speakers, vendors who specialize in diabetic care equipment and services, as well as health screenings.

Guest speakers include Dr. Jonathan Marquess, Certified Diabetes Educator (10-11 a.m.), Dr. Wayne Newman, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (12:30-1 p.m.), Dr. Brian Allen, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine physician (1-1:30 p.m.), and Dr. Sabrina Wyllie-Adams, Internal Medicine physician (3:30 -4 p.m.), as well as Rockdale Medical Center diabetes educators and nutrition experts.

Chef Alain Bouzoubaa, Founder/Owner/Operator of the Seven Gables Restaurant in Conyers, will demonstrate how to prepare healthy meals from 11 a.m. - noon. Chef Alain will prepare three recipes for event participants to sample.

‘Healthy Living with Diabetes' will be held in the East Tower Classrooms at Rockdale Medical Center from 10 AM-4 PM.

Health screenings include free Hemoglobin A1C tests, free foot checks, and stroke and heart attack risk screenings.

For more information, please call 1-800-424-DOCS(3627).

According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, in 2012 over 29 million people in the United States had diabetes. Of those, only 21 million cases were diagnosed and just over 8 million were undiagnosed cases. Common symptoms of diabetes may include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, weight loss, and blurred vision. Without treatment, this illness can result in serious health problems that can affect the eyes, heart, kidneys, nervous system, and the circulatory system.