More free health education can improve wellness in Springfield and Clark County, residents said at a free local health fair.
About 350 people attended the annual Healthy Families ‘16 at the Clark State Community College Hollenbeck-Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center on Tuesday evening.
The free event is organized annually by the Community Health Foundation through sponsorships, Executive Director Joy Rogers said. It includes free health screenings, discussions, fitness demonstrations and about 60 health and wellness exhibitors.
“We’re thrilled to present this to our community each year,” Rogers said. “It offers a chance to learn how to be healthier and live a healthier life. … We have some somewhat dismal statistics as far as the health of our community, so we’re happy to be able to provide this free health expo.”
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Springfield resident Betty Jones attends the health fair every year. She had several health screenings performed, including blood pressure and blood sugar.
“You can find out things you wouldn’t know if you didn’t go to a doctor regularly,” Jones said.
Springfield resident David Glenn spent time speaking with local heart surgeon Dr. Surender Nerevetla about the effect salt has on the African-American community.
“It’s so important for us to have that information,” Glenn said.
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The event provides the community health services it may not otherwise have, Clark County Combined Health District Public Health Educator Anita Biles said. The health fair has several distinct areas for men, women, seniors and children.
“It gives everybody an opportunity to see what’s open to them in the community,” Biles said.
This year the event provided free mammograms for women through a partnership with Community Mercy Health Partners.
It also included several Health Chats about heart health, bone and joints, women’s health and diet and nutrition.
“They’re focusing on some of the key issues in our community,” Rogers said. “We’re trying to help people to be healthier and focused on wellness. This gives them a great avenue to learn a little more.”
Healthy Springfield: About this series
Many readers responded to a report late last year that ranked Springfield as the least healthy city in Ohio. That response — including wanting to make a positive difference — prompted the Springfield News-Sun to take a closer look at the community’s health. This year the News-Sun will dig into the public health issues facing the city, including obesity and minority health disparities and efforts to improve them. Later this month, the News-Sun will investigate women’s health. For all of our Healthy Springfield content, including videos, photos and more stories, log on to SpringfieldNewsSun.com/healthy-springfield.
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