Health fair offers something for everyone

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

From toddlers to seniors, Marion County Health Fair will have good things for everyone.

This year’s health fair will be 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Nov. 3 at Hillsboro Elementary School.

Local vendors will be available to discuss health and wellness services, flu shots and blood tests will be given for visitors who want them, and carotid artery screenings, done by Hillsboro Community Hospital, will be free.

St. Luke Hospital and HCH will offer an assortment of blood tests. CMP tests evaluate organ function and check for conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease. LIPID panel tests measure cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein. CBC w/DIFF tests measure the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet levels, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. TSH tests measure thyroid function.

All of those tests are available for $25.

Two additional tests will be offered for $10 each. HgbA1c tests measure the average level of glucose in the blood over the past 2 to 3 months, and PSA tests for men over 40 measure the level of prostate-specific antigen in a man’s blood.

Test results will be mailed to participants in one to two weeks.

Marion County Health Department will give flu shots. The health department will bill Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield if the patient is insured. A limited number of flu shots will be available for people without insurance, health department administrator Deidre Serene said.

The health department will also give away bicycle helmets for children and adults. Adults are especially encouraged to get bike helmets.

They will also have cabinet door locks and educational information on laundry product safety and the Women, Infants and Children program.

St. Luke will have a therapy department booth highlighting pediatrics and information available on the MDsave, an online health care marketplace program for uninsured and underinsured patients.

Prize drawings will be held every half hour starting at 8:30 a.m.

Smokey the Bear and Spiderman will make special appearances and a LifeTeam helicopter will be on the scene from 10 to 11 a.m.

The health fair is also a collection point for items for the Marion County Toy Run that afternoon.

For more information, call (620) 877-4280.