Coalition plans free health fair for all

Preparation is underway for the Clay County Coalition's upcoming health fair to be held Thursday, March 12, at the Piggott Community Center. Organizers from both the coalition and local healthcare agencies gathered Monday, Feb. 23, at the Rector Community Center to make plans for the upcoming event. Pictured are, from left: Front --- Kim Donner, Dorothy Newsom, Robyn Stallings and Michele Haley. Back --- Debbie Baker, Karen Davis and Kim McCray. (Democrat photo)

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To make this goal a reality, the coalition is bringing together several healthcare agencies in order to provide a free health fair which all of Clay County is encouraged to attend. The health fair is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 12 noon Thursday, March 12, at the Piggott Community Center.

The health fair is expected to feature a variety of medical tests and screenings. Confirmed booths include: cholesterol screenings by Piggott Community Hospital, blood sugar evaluations by Piggott Community Hospital's Home Health Care, blood pressure and fall assessments by Health South, diabetes shoe fittings with pressure machine by Homecare Medical Equipment, Tdap or Td vaccinations by the health department, general health information by the East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging, nutritional information by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Stamp out Smoking by the Arkansas Department of Health, senior health information from the Center on Aging and prostate screening by Dr. Raul Blasini.

The coalition also hopes to have personnel in place to offer eye exams and the St. Bernard mobile unit to help visitors set up appointments for breast exams and bone density checks. The group still is working in order to bring even more officials and booths to the event.

The event is being coordinated to lend a helping hand during the difficult economic downturn.

"With the current economic situation, some people might put off some of these tests," said coalition member Michele Haley of Rector. "We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to have these exams and tests."

Should the Piggott health fair be a success, plans are underway to bring a similar event to Rector in the future.

As part of the effort, members of the group met with local health officials in a coalition meeting Monday, Feb. 23, at the Rector Community Center. Coalition members Kim Donner, Haley, Debbie Baker and Dorothy Newsom met with Kim McCray of St. Bernards, Robyn Stallings of Health South and Karen Davis of Department of Health to share ideas and evaluate the overall status of the planned event.

So far, everything seems to be coming together.

"I think we're going to have everything in place to make this health fair something that can really benefit the whole county," said Donner, coalition president.

Donner stresses the importance of health screenings and the opportunities a health fair makes available.

"We encourage everyone to come out and take advantage of this opportunity."