Southwest Medical Center Announces 2015 Community Health Fair

Southwest Medical Center has announced the 2015 Community Health Fair will take place from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Seward County Activity Center in Liberal.
This annual event features a series of lab tests, including a comprehensive metabolic profile, lipid profile, thyroid screen and a complete blood count at a cost of $35 per person. For an additional $5, men can add PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing, which is recommended for men age 40 and older to test for signs of prostate cancer. Women may have a CEA (carcinoembryogenic antigen) screen for an additional $5 to test for certain types of cancer. An HGB A1C (glycated hemoglobin) test is also available for $5 to help monitor long-term glucose control.
In addition to these tests, clinical breast exams, spirometry testing, pulse oximetry testing and blood pressure measurements will be offered free of charge at other Southwest Medical Center booths. Free screenings offered by the Lion’s Club mobile screening unit will include visual acuity/vision screens, field of vision tests, blood pressure, blood sugar, and hearing tests.
More than 50 booths focused on health and wellness will also be on site to provide information about their organization, products, or services. The Seward County Health Department is returning to the fair this year and will offer influenza vaccines for a special discounted price at their booth.
Whirlwind Career and Counseling Services will cover the lab testing cost for veterans. Those veterans interested in attending the fair may contact Kay Burtzloff at (620) 629-0203 for more information. Veterans are encouraged to bring their military I.D.
Several businesses, including Southern Pioneer Electric, Mead Lumber, The Community Bank, ARSI, Heifer Source, and Southwest Medical Center, have contributed to this community event so far to keep these important health screenings at a low cost.
“Our Community Health Fair continues to grow each year as more local groups and sponsors come together to focus their energy on improving the overall health of our community.” Southwest Medical Center’s Marketing and Development Director, Keeley Moree, said. “Last year we welcomed visitors receiving preventative screenings who traveled from more than 30 different cities and towns in our region. These screenings have helped many people identify how to better care for themselves and each other, and that’s something we know will help make our community a better place to live.”
Admission to the fair is free for the general public. All visitors interested in having the above lab tests done at the health fair should plan to fast for at least eight hours prior to testing. Concessions will be available at the Activity Center.
For more information about attending or sponsoring the 2015 Community Health Fair, please contact Keeley Moree at (620) 629-6335 or Rachel Brost at (620) 629-6424.