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Crusader Clinic and Cosmopolitan

In 1994, the Charities Board of the Rockford Cosmopolitan Club made a major decision which established the Crusader Clinic/Cosmopolitan Diabetes Program. The first club grant to the program was $5,500. Crusader and the Rockford Club made a grant application to the Cosmopolitan Diabetes Foundation and received $3,300. Since that initial input the support for the program to date has received over $300,000 from the Rockford Club, the Cosmopolitan Diabetes Foundation, and Mid-States Federation Clubs. Each dollar has been used, in some way, to provide diabetes education and health care for low income individuals.

Enabled by the ongoing support of the Cosmopolitans, the program has grown serving over 2,700 diabetic patients. This is a 204% increase in the number of diabetic patients served in 1994. The program has evolved into a ‘center of excellence for diabetic care’.

The Diabetes Program continues to achieve excellent results in improving patient health. The Hemoglobin A1c which measures the average amount of sugar in the blood has decreased from 8.4 in 2003 to 8.1 in 2007. In addition, the program continues to have no statistical significance in our outcomes when measuring between different ethnic backgrounds—caucasian, black, or hispanic.

Crusader/Cosmopolitan Mobile Diabetes Program

The Cosmopolitan Club of Rockford was the first ever recipient of the “Spirit of Caring” award for organizations from Crusader Clinic. From left to right: Don Cuppini, Russ Dennis, Dan Clark, Tom Etier, and Steve Elsberg in the van purchased by Rockford Cosmos for Crusader’s Mobile Diabetes Program.

In 2002, Rockford Cosmos stepped up its support by purchasing a mini-van and related equipment to put ‘DIABETES DETECTION’ on the road. The Crusader-Cosmopolitan Mobile Diabetes Program offers free blood sugar testing and informational talks and presentations as a community outreach. Since its inception, this program has administered 3,963 free blood sugar tests at more than 150 events. Nearly 12% of persons tested had an elevated blood sugar level. Early detection is important to prevent complications and offer treatment options.

In 2007, the Rockford Cosmopolitan Club was honored as the first ever service organization to ever receive the “Spirit of Caring” award from Crusader Clinic. The “Spirit of Caring” award was initiated in 1992 and presented each year to an individual in the community who shows their concern for others through volunteer work.

Cosmopolitan Patient Education Center

Rockford Cosmos members meet with Crusader Clinic to discuss plans for the new “Cosmopolitan Patient Education Center."

The Rockford Cosmopolitan Club has remained steadfast in its commitment to improve the lives of persons with diabetes and boosted efforts to raise funds for the “Cosmopolitan Patient Education Center” at the Crusader Clinic. This effort is part of the Crusader Clinic capital campaign, “Shaping the Future of Community Healthcare in Northern Illinois.” The center will increase the level of patient services and will feature self-education stations to assist patients in managing their chronic disease conditions.

The Rockford club has raised $75,000 in pledges from Cosmo members and friends as a part of the initiative called the Rockford Education for Diabetes Fund (RED). The center will carry the Cosmopolitan name in its title.

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