Society “Steps Out” For Diabetes Awareness

This year, the San Diego County Optometric Society (SDCOS) has continued an almost decade-long tradition of participating in the Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes in San Diego. It started in 2006 with a handful of doctors of optometry and has grown to more than 80 participants, including ODs, SDCOS sponsor reps, and families (pets too!).

This year SDCOS raised more than $8,200. Since 2006,  SDCOS has raised $48,682. They were the second place overall fundraising team in this year’s event and have been the first place fundraising team in the club/organization category since they joined Step Out.
 
Starting soon after SDCOS began this tradition, its team joined another team led by Craig Hansen, the director of co-management services for a San Diego-based Lasik group called Gordon Shanzlin New Vision Institute (GSNVI), one of SDCOS’ annual sponsors. Hansen, a type 1 diabetes patient, co-captains the combined team with SDCOS member David Sherman, OD, a type 2 diabetes patient. Dr. Sherman said he is happy to be a part of this great tradition as a diabetes patient and as a doctor of optometry.
 
“As an optometrist, I am an integral part of my patient’s overall diabetic health care, including early diagnosis and annual retinal exams. So, it is very important to me to do my part with the American Diabetes Association in the hopes that better treatments and, hopefully, a cure can someday be discovered,” Dr. Sherman said.