On July 22, the Leonard Covello Older Adult Center turned its community room into a pop-up bone health clinic for the day, part of Carter Burden Network's partnership with the National Council on Aging's Better Bone Health program. Women 55 and older face a significantly higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, and the goal of the day was simple: give our members real information, a free screening, and a clear next step if something looked off.
By the end of the day, the numbers told their own story: 39 members attended the presentation and 20 completed a bone density screening, capping off a multi-week outreach push that included partnering with the NYC Department of Health, reaching out to neighboring older adult centers, phone calls to members, and a social media campaign.
The day's featured speaker was Dr. Erlin J. Marte, an endocrinologist who traveled in from Buffalo, New York, where he practices and teaches students and residents at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. Alongside his medical practice, he also serves as a Flight Surgeon, Chief Medical Officer, Public Health Emergency Officer, and Medical Review Officer for the United States Air Force. He earned his medical degree at the New York Institute of Technology, completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at SUNY Buffalo, and is a graduate of the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine. He previously worked as an infectious disease investigator for the American Red Cross across New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.
Dr. Marte walked members through what bone density screenings can and can't tell you, the risk factors for osteoporosis, and how to bring the topic up with their own doctors.
Bone health can feel like an invisible issue until a fracture makes it painfully visible. Dr. Marte's presentation covered the stages of bone loss, from normal bone to osteopenia to osteoporosis and severe osteoporosis, and walked through practical, everyday ways members can protect their bones from diet and weight-bearing exercise to knowing when it's time to ask a doctor for a full DEXA scan, the gold-standard diagnostic test.
Members stayed for both the lecture and the walk-up screenings, with many using the opportunity to ask detailed questions about their own health history, a sign, staff said, of just how invested this community is in staying informed and active.
This is one of many partnerships CBN's Health & Wellness Initiatives team maintains to bring free health resources to our members with more screenings, lectures, and programs on the calendar. Find out more on our Health & Wellness page.
