New Office, Same Mission: Diabetes Center Appeals for $500K to Continue Lifesaving Programs for Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Patients

With 68% of patients on Medicare or Medicaid and 10% uninsured, VIDCOE says its future depends on new funding as ARPA support ends; the center’s programs include childhood screening, diabetes prevention, mobile outreach, and free health fairs.

Patients with diabetes now have better access to specialized care following the opening of a new office for the Virgin Islands Diabetes Center of Excellence (VIDCOE) at the Sion Farm Shopping Center, Suite 1, in Christiansted. The center’s leadership held its grand opening and annual Free Diabetes Health Fair on Saturday, combining both events to celebrate a new chapter in community-based care.

Patients were previously seen at a location in La Grande Princesse that lacked ADA compliance, requiring individuals with mobility challenges to climb stairs. “That serves as an impediment for them,” said Dr. Julia Sheen, Executive Director of VIDCOE.

The move to the new facility was funded through Community Project Funding and a congressional appropriation. The health fair received support from multiple sources, including VIDCOE, the University of the Virgin Islands’ Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Office of the Governor, and the Virgin Islands Legislature.