April 20, 2015 at 2:46 p.m.
Hundreds attend ninth annual health fair
Hundreds attend ninth annual health fair
By Kayla Thomason-
"The turnout has been excellent," said Jesse Bolder, Saint Mary's Hospital Foundation director. "The Rhinelander community and surrounding communities from the Northwoods have all come down and participated, taken advantage of this opportunity to get their numbers checked or do their screenings or pick up information on things that they are interested in getting some help with."
People who attended the health fair had the opportunity to browse 38 booths covering topics such as women's health, ultrasounds, stroke, cancer and more. Participants also learned their body mass index and got their hearts and cholesterol checked.
"It's informational," said Michaela Mick, a first-time attendee. "The ultrasounds (stood out to me). I've had one before because of (my daughter)."
She said she would probably come again next year.
"I think the health fair is an awesome way for people to come and not only get free screenings but to educate on so many things, to just take a few hours to yourself and become educated," said Sue Klemm, registered nurse in the quality improvement department.
Klemm informed people about the symptoms of a stroke and urged them to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they think they are having a stroke.
"Stroke is an emergency," Klemm said. "Too often people have symptoms at home - perhaps their arm is numb, their speech isn't clear - and they think if they lay down it's going to get better, and that's what we're trying to emphasize is that at those first signs of stroke that you need to call 9-1-1 and get in here. There are medications that can be given to dissolve a clot of a stroke but there is a three-hour window."
She said stroke is the No. 1 cause of disability in the U.S. and every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a strok. Strokes are the No. 3 cause of death in women and No. 4 cause of death in men.
Klemm said there are things people can do to reduce the likelihood they will have a stroke. Hypertension is the No. 1 risk factor that can be controlled. She said smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to have a stroke.
"The way I look at it, gosh, if I touch half a dozen people and inform them what to do in case of a stroke it's a win," Klemm said.
Those who stopped by her booth had a chance to spin a wheel and answer a question to get a prize.
Sandra Stein, Saint Mary's laboratory director, oversaw cholesterol testing. She said she tested approximately 150 to 200 people.
"What we do is we do a total cholesterol and then we also measure the high density lipid part of the cholesterol which is the good cholesterol and then we do a ratio of total cholesterol and the high density cholesterol to determine the risk for heart attack," she said. "The higher the ratio the greater you are at risk for heart attack.
Good cholesterol cleans out the blood vessels, Stein said.
Those who got tested had their blood drawn, which was then run through the lab. The results will be mailed to the patient.
"We're happy to offer this because we have encountered lots of patients that do not have health care or their health insurance doesn't cover screening-type tests so it's a great way for them to find out their results so that they can bring them to their physicians if their cholesterol has changed," Stein said.
Besides heart issues, high cholesterol can cause damage to the kidneys and circulatory system and can cause a stroke. Stein said cholesterol can be controlled with a proper diet.
"There's lots more (booths) than the last time I was here, certainly a lot of information," said Rose Macheichok, a second-time attendee.
She learned about cholesterol and was interested in heart pamphlets and women's health.
"I think it's wonderful they do it and it should be done like twice a year, not just once," Macheichok said.
"The event continues to pick up steam and is a big success," Bolder added.
Bolder said he has had people come up to him and say that these free screenings have caught health issues early, allowing patients to address their illness before it became too serious.
"The foundation is happy to be able to sponsor this for the community and let people come out," he said.
Also during the health fair children could stop in to the Teddy Bear Clinic, where they could bring their stuffed animal along and the physician would perform some basic tests so children wouldn't be scared when it was their turn.
Therapy dogs were also present, getting quite a bit of attention and making people smile.
"It's always important to stay on top of your health and whether you want to be proactive with it and you can get some information, make sure that your numbers are where they should be and where you want them to be," Bolder said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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