Health Fair offers free assessments

Thursday, May 12, 2005
Stacey Wilson, NRMC community educator, sorts through many boxes of prizes and other giveaways to be offered at the Community Health Fair.

By Nancy Malcom

Nevada Daily Mail

On Saturday, May 14, from 8 a.m. to noon, Nevada Regional Medical Center and Nevada Medical Clinic will host a community health fair at the Elks Lodge, 510 N. Centennial Boulevard.

"Everyone should attend," said Stacey Wilson, Nevada Regional Medical Center community educator.

Representatives from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, local ambulance, sheriff, police, and fire department personnel will be there with the Fire Pup; and Elmer the Elk will attend with anti drug information.

"We can keep the kids interested and involved long enough for the parents to complete their screenings," Wilson explained.

Fingerprinting of children will be offered. There will be many giveaways, including coloring books, 50 carnival bears and child-sized nurses and doctors hats.

Free doughnuts will be offered in the first two hours and hot dogs will be served from 10 to noon. Soda is available all morning.

Wilson stressed that everything is free, there is no cost.

"We have a clinic networking committee made up of different health entities that want to be involved," she explained.

She is on the committee that put together the health fair along with Michele Kasey at the hospital, and Sherry Lakeman and Renee Eck from the Nevada Medical Clinic and Debra Compton who is Dr. Compton's wife and nurse.

"We asked every health entity in the area to come," Wilson said. "We invited over 100, we have 43 who have confirmed they will be there and others may just show up." The health fair isn't just about medical testing though. "It's about assessing your overall health," Wilson explained.

Also at the fair will be practitioners of alternative health care methods including chiropractors and massage therapists.

Many local businesses and organizations are involved with the testing and each covers the costs of the testing they do.

The people doing the testing are qualified to do them and routinely do them as part of their job, Wilson said. Testing results will be given that day and professionals will be there to make follow-up and treatment suggestions.

Dr. Turner will do skin cancer checks from 11-12. Nurse practitioners from the Sheldon and Rich Hill clinics will be there to conduct tests as well.

Wilson said that the Lions Club will be doing the lazy eye and hearing tests for children. The YMCA and Curves are doing the body fat screening. The YMCA will also offer mini-exercise programs throughout the morning.

Some of the screenings offered are glucose testing, vascular screening, podiatry assessment, depression screening, heart assessment, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, glaucoma screening, hearing test, body fat testing, skin cancer screening, amblyopia screening, blood pressure, finger printing for children and free chair massages.

Most of the medical tests offered are painless. "The glucose test is the only one that involves a needle and you need to fast two hours for that one," Wilson explained.

"The hospital offers different free tests throughout the year, including cholesterol levels and PSA (Prostrate Screening Assessment) for cancer," Wilson added. "Those tests won't be offered at the fair but will be available for free later." Wilson added, "We hope to make this an annual event. We'll see how it goes.

We don't want it to be just a hospital and clinic thing, it's for everybody community wide." Sherry Lakeman, Nevada Medical Clinic Administrator, said, "All of our doctors will be there in two hour shifts. They will answer your questions and you can get to know them better. Our new doctor, Dr. Whitesell, will be starting her practice in Nevada this fall as a family practitioner. It will give every one a chance to meet her."

There will also be members of the nursing staff there and notaries to help legalize Advanced Care Health Directives.

"Every one should attend," said Lakeman.

Wilson said, "We have something for everybody. I think it's a good deal for the community. People need to take time to come. It's a free way to assess your overall health."

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