Sweet Health Fair Seeks to Make Healthcare Accessible
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In addition to the electrodes that will be placed on each of the four limbs, this diagram indicates the placement of the sticky pads in the left rib region for the 12-lead ECG.
Last week, Nora Conner, Community Health Advocate for One Health-Sweet, shared the schedule for the upcoming Sweet Health Fair that will be held on April 1-2. Scheduled to take place at the Blaine County Library's Meeting Room, located at 112 Fourth Street West in Chinook, the Fair will feature vendors, various programs, and a menu of labs, screenings, and other health assessments.
Vendors will have tables set up, where those browsing might obtain valuable health information. One of those vendors, IPharm will not only be performing bone density screenings, fall and risk balance assessments, and cardiovascular disease assessments but providing counselling on chronic diseases such as pre-diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.
Furthermore, fair-goers can visit stations where programs, such as Car Seat Safety with Ashley Nordboe and End of Life Decisions presented by Daniel Dahl, will take place.
In addition to performing blood pressure assessments and retinal examinations, technicians at the Sweet Health Fair will be offering a menu of labs. According to Conner, the One Health crew will have two lab stations set up and will process two appointments every fifteen minutes from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on both April 1 and April 2. Anyone interested in any of the tests listed below should call 357-2294 to schedule an appointment:
• Chemistry Panel (General Health) $45.00
• Vitamin D $35.00
• TSH (Thyroid) $25.00
• CBC (Overall Health) $20.00
• HGB A1c (Blood Sugar) $20.00
• PSA (Prostate) $30.00
• Lipid Panel (Cholesterol) $25.00
• Testosterone (Men's Health) $40.00
• COVID Antibody $55.00
Conner advises that individuals planning to undergo one of the lab tests should drink plenty of water. "If you are doing the Chemistry Panel, Lipid Panel, or Comprehensive Panel, you also need to fast after midnight on the day of your appointment," she said. Conner further explained that the General Health Chemistry Panel includes a comprehensive metabolic panel, GGT (liver enzyme), iron, magnesium, phosphorus, uric acid, and lipid panel.
"No insurance will be billed for these tests, so patients will need to pay with cash or a check for these services," Conner added.
Additionally, on Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and again on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., the St. Vincent Healthcare Mobile Mammography Coach, or mammocoach, will be on site. This mobile outreach service is focused on awareness, detection, and survival. The coach's slogan, "Get on Board" encourages individuals to forego excuses and get screened to ensure breast health.
According to healthcare officials, what makes the mammocoach unique is the 3-D imaging technology used to scan patients. This technology detects invasive cancers 40% more frequently than a traditional 2-D mammogram and also reduces the likelihood of false positives. With the technology on board-the same imaging equipment as that used at St. Vincent's on-campus site-a mammogram takes just fifteen minutes, is covered by most insurance plans, and is completed by an experienced team. Confidential results will be mailed directly to the patient and the healthcare provider. Anyone wishing to make an appointment with the St. Vincent Healthcare Mobile Mammography Coach should call 406-237-4373.
Finally, the Health Fair will feature the Chinook Ambulance Crew and its Emergency Care Providers, who will be conducting 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) at no charge. Crew members will be taking turns conducting the tests so as to develop proficiency in the procedure. No appointment is necessary for this test, which shows the electric activity of the heart and looks for abnormalities.
Essentially, the 12-lead ECG captures a complete picture of the heart's electrical activity by recording information through twelve different perspectives and transfers it to graphed paper.
Lynn Friede, who conveyed the information as told to her by Dan Friede, described this as a noninvasive test in which electrodes-or sticky pads-will be placed on all four limbs and across the left side of the chest between the ribs. The results will be given to the patient so that they may be analyzed by medical professionals who can perform appropriate medical interventions. The main purpose of the 12-lead ECG is to screen patients for possible cardiac ischemia, which is a reduction in the heart muscle's ability to pump blood. This cardiac monitoring service will also give people a good baseline if they ever experience heart problems.
About the Health Fair, Conner explained: "In a fashion similar to what has been offered in the past at the Seed Show, we're trying to give people convenient access to health care services."
Anyone visiting the Health Fair will need to wear a mask and practice social distancing guidelines.
