Practical Applications: Providing Culturally Relevant, Person-Centered Diabetes Care

As an innovative leader in health and nutrition, Angela has established new ways for patients to return to a state of wellness. She is passionate about assisting diabetes clients through their prevention, treatment, and management journey. As a Registered Dietitian for 20 years and providing patient-centered care, Angela has improved clinical outcomes by providing real-world medical nutrition therapy. 

As a community change agent to improve social health inequalities, she is a health advocate for underrepresented communities. She has developed health education programs for city and county health departments and is a diabetes expert for local health improvement coalitions. The impact of healthy food choices & diabetes motivated her to develop a diabetes-therapeutic food pantry for patients experiencing food insecurity. Angela is a recognized speaker on social determinants of health & the impact of diabetes outcomes. Angela was recently appointed as Advisory Board President for Morgan State University's Food and Nutrition Science program to promote nutrition careers for minority students. In 2023, she was appointed to the Greater Baltimore Community Leadership Board for the American Diabetes Association. She graduated with honors from Morgan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition. Later in her career, she completed the nursing program with honors & passed NCLEX for registered nurses. 

As a media expert & Past National Spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, she has been featured in Marie Claire, Food Network, Everyday Living, Prevention and Better Homes & Gardens, and Essence, just to name a few.

Lorena Drago, MS, RD, CDN, CDCES, is a Registered Dietitian, Consultant, and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Lorena specializes in the multicultural aspects of diabetes self-management education and is an expert in developing culturally and ethnically oriented nutrition and diabetes education materials. She founded Hispanic Foodways, which received the New York City Small Business Award in 2006. She developed the Nutriportion™ Measuring Cups, which have the calorie and carbohydrate amounts of common foods embossed on each cup, and the Nutriportion™ Hispanic Food Cards, which have pictures and nutrition composition of common Hispanic foods. 

Lorena served on the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists’ board of directors from 2006-2010, Chair for Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition. She was the Past President of the Metropolitan New York Association of Diabetes Educators in 2004. Lorena won the Diabetic Living People’s Choice Award in 2012, the Latinos & Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition Trinko Award in 2016, and the Diabetes Dietetics Practice Group Diabetes Educator of the Year Award in 2022. 

She is the author of Beyond Rice and Beans: The Caribbean Guide to Eating Well with Diabetes, published by the American Diabetes Association. She is a contributing author and co-editor of the book Cultural Food Practices, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and was print communications chair for the Diabetes Care and Education Specialty Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics from 2012-2015. Lorena’s new publication, 15-Minute Consultation: Tips, Tools, and Activities to Make Your Nutrition Counseling More Effective, was published in 2016 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She serves on the editorial board of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists in Practice and Diabetes Self-Management magazine. Lorena has appeared on several national TV shows speaking about diabetes management. 

Lorena graduated cum laude from Hunter College of the City University of New York with a Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition. She received her bachelor’s degree from Queens College.

Jubril Oyeyemi is an award-winning primary care physician who practices full-time medicine in Camden, New Jersey. On staff at Virtua Health System, Dr Oyeyemi serves on various committees including bioethics, quality, patient safety, and continuity of care for complex care patients. 

Passionate about healthcare access, Dr Jubril founded the Cherry Hill Free Clinic in 2017. This nonprofit primary care center is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underinsured free of charge. The Clinic is staffed by a diverse team of passionate volunteers and generously supported by local community organizations and health systems. The Cherry Hill Free Clinic has grown to serve thousands of patients in just four years, becoming one of New Jersey’s largest free care centers. 

Dr Jubril received the President and CEO Superstar Award, the Dorothy Cox Fisher Community Service Award, and the Hajj Musa Sabir Dedicated Service Award. He was named South Jersey Biz’s Who’s Who in Healthcare in 2019, NJBIZ Volunteer of the Year in 2020, and received the 2020 Congressional Martin Luther King Award for the work done at the Cherry Hill Free Clinic. He was appointed to join Governor Murphy’s COVID restart and recovery healthcare advisory council as well as the Governor’s Taskforce on Wealth Inequality in New Jersey. 

In December 2022, Dr Jubril and his team were awarded the Culture of Health Champion Award by the New Jersey YMCA state alliance and the Department of Health for an outstanding contribution to advancing health equity in New Jersey. Dr Oyeyemi was appointed to serve as medical director of Virtua’s community health institute in addition to an appointment to be the medical director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. In this new role, he gets to work in complex care. When not working, Dr Oyeyemi enjoys time with his family- his wife Na'imah and his 2 daughters, Tassie and Muna.