Health Fair provides education

As you know my career was in extension giving leadership to 4-H. Do you know that when the program was in its early development it was called 3-H, standing for Head Heart and Hands? It was not long before the fourth H was added, standing for Health. The early pioneers in this youth movement recognized the importance of health to the youth involved and to their families.

Still today, each standard 4-H club includes health in their program, helping youth to learn about health. They do a variety of things in the health program.

In my younger days, I will admit that I was not too interested in health. Many young people do not recognize the importance of health. Others get involved and help to encourage better health among others.

Older people have an awareness of health -- even many of the older people could implement better health practices. As people become more mature, the subject of most conversations includes their health care and medications.

Quality and length of life is generally affected by health. Often those not following good health practices do not have as good of quality of life as those who work to maintain good health.

One of the comments that was humorous, but at the same time is an accurate statement was made by the late Max Brown. He was a fun person to be around and he often said things that were humorous. We were at the late Bob Lasley's office after Max had recently reached 80 years of age. Max said, "If I had known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself." That was the first time I had heard that statement, but have heard it from others or a statement similar to that since.

This Saturday, the Fourth Annual Community Health Fair will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the Osage Prairie YMCA. There has been much advertisement and publicity for this event, still it is important enough for everyone to become aware of this event and to make an effort to attend. If it helps one person to become more conscious of their health or learn from a screening that a health condition has developed, it is well worth while. The problem is that those who might need it the most are not aware of the fair or have not been motivated enough to get there.

We are fortunate in Nevada and Vernon County to have as many health services as we have in this rural community. Not only do we have many, but they are of good quality. Most citizens are not aware of what is available. The Community Health Fair will help those in attendance to become more aware of what is available.

Stacy Wilson, community educator at the Nevada Regional Medical Center, she said there will be a lot of free screenings, which usually there is a cost. The health fair will help to keep those attending healthy. There will be 59 booths at the fair, close to 10 are new. There is something for little kids all the way up to senior adults.

She named several new booths and screenings for this year. One will be a new health booth with Gram, Meyer and Young doing cardio artery screening. Wal-Mart will be having a vision screening which is new. There has been a Glaucoma Screening and that will also be held this year.

Dr. John Weaver will conduct screening for skin cancer. A new booth will concern a sleep study with Medico Sleep Studies giving information about sleep studies. Nevada Urgent Care will be providing information about asthma and allergies -- a timely subject for this time of the year. Vernon County Youth Task Force will have a dental display. The emergency department at NRMC will provide safety information. Three booths will be provided by three companies concerning supplemental care for the Medicaid Insurance program.

There will be several booths which have been included in the health fair in the past. For those doing the glucose testing a two-hour fast is required. The cholesterol check is for the total cholesterol, not dividing the good and bad cholesterol. This will involve pricking the finger, taking about 3 minutes.

Stacy said that the police department will be finger printing for children. A chair message will be held again this year and an opportunity for a hearing test. There will be many more booths providing screenings and information, including body composition, balance assessment, diabetic information, nutrition assessment and others.

Stacy said that everyone should come out and take advantage of every screening, meet safety and health officials. All physicians will be there sometime during the fair. There are several new doctors and this is an opportunity to meet them. She concluded by saying that it is usually a nice event.

The facilities are being provided by the YMCA free of charge. The event is sponsored by NRMC, Nevada Medical Clinic, Dr. Scott Compton, bone and joint specialist, Nevada Internal, Medicine Inc. and Dr. Warren Lovinger.

Last year there were 300 in attendance. Here is a great opportunity for the community. It for your health take advantage of the health fair, the free screenings offered and the health information provided.