TRI-CITIES, Wash.- July 10 is Chronic Disease Awareness Day and NonStop Local’s Cristian Garza sat down with Megan Fullmer of Kadlec to discuss the support and resources available for patients.
Chronic diseases are ongoing medical conditions that continuously require medical attention and treatment, such as heart disease, diabetes, lung disease and so many more.
“Chronic illness day is a time to educate the community and advocate for those living with chronic illnesses,” said Megan Fullmer, Clerical Assistant at Kadlec.
Advocating for those with a chronic disease means bringing awareness to the condition, but also working for better access to care and lower costs to treatments and resources.
The Kadlec Healthplex at 1268 Lee Blvd in Richland offers a Resource Library open to those suffering from a chronic illness and the community. The library offers resources to help patients through every aspect of care, from diagnosis to treatment.
“It’s not something that’s cured,” Fullmer said. “It’s something you live with every single day. So an awareness day like this is really meant to make sure that those voices are elevated and heard.”
Kadlec also offers several support groups for those with chronic illnesses, including Parkinson’s, MS and COPD. The support groups are open to those in the Tri-Cities and the surrounding region.
