Early Saturday morning, many Charleston residents rose before the sun came up in hopes of shedding light on some important health concerns. Over a dozen MUSC employees manned tables at the first Ashley River Tower (ART) Health Screening held August 23rd . The event’s purpose was to inform the public about the cause, warning signs, and treatment of health conditions such as diabetes, reflux and colon cancer. Attendants took advantage of the blood glucose and blood pressure reading, take-home hemoccult testing, and abundance of information outlining diet, food and drug interactions provided by the Pharmacy and Nutrition Services departments. Five outpatient Registered Dietitians provided nutrition expertise to those participants curious about the role of nutrition and well being. Thee Bariatric Surgery Program dietitians provided height, weight measurements and body mass index interpretation. A tri-fold display board further detailed the services provided by the Bariatric Surgery team and guidance was provided for participants wanting to know more about the process. For those inquiring ways to improve their diet quality,  dietitians were available to explained ways to cut fat and sugar from the diet and demonstrated proper portion sizes using food models. As part of the new Seinsheimer cardiac prevention program, nutrition experts were available to discuss the benefits of good nutrition and healthy fat intake. The dietitians’ aimed to provide the public with a better understanding about food choices and eating behaviors that positively impact health, as well as make known that help is available to those who need assistance from the nutrition experts at MUSC. Visitors interested in outpatient nutrition counseling and individual assessments were given a written quick guide to the adult and pediatric outpatient programs at MUSC. | 
