Health fair serves community
Screenings conducted, general health information available over weekend
CELINA — Grand Lake Health System held it’s bi-annual health fair Saturday morning at the AuglaizeMercer Family YMCA North Branch in Celina.
Community members attended and were able to get free health screenings done for osteoporosis, blood pressure, glucose levels, balance and body composition and other screenings were offered for a small fee.
Grand Lake Health Community Outreach Coordinator Jenni Miller said a lot of people got to the Y even before the scheduled 8 a.m. start time and she said screenings began around 7:30 a.m.
In past fairs, the entire gymnasium floor is set up with booths but Miller said this year was different and booths were only placed along the walls of the gym which allowed for better spacing and more social distancing.
Among the booths that were set up, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office was there to collect unused medication and prescription drugs.
“Our goal is for them to dispose it to us that way the drugs don’t get into abuser’s hands,” said Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Rachel Heinl. “Once it’s in our hands, we can dispose of it properly that way there’s not so many overdoses or people getting addicted to prescribed drugs.”
She mentioned that by taking in these drugs and disposing of them, it keeps prescription drugs off the streets and won’t be able to be abused.
“We’ve seen or heard before, that people are so addicted that they’ll go through people’s trash just to get into things,” she said. “If you bring it to us here, we don’t have to worry about that sort of thing; hopefully it’s a few lives that we’re saving by taking it in.”
The Grand Lake Wound Care Center had representatives there to pro
vide more information to community members about what they do.
Located in the hospital, the Wound Care Center treats a variety of wounds and people do not need a referral to use them.
Clinical Nurse Manager Tricia White said the unit uses specialized equipment to help heal wounds faster.
“We do have two HBO (hyperbaric oxygen) chambers. Basically, it simulates taking a patient to 33 feet below sea water and it pushes oxygen,” said White. “It’s 100% oxygen under pressure. So it pushes it into the bloodstream and gets it to the wound bed so that the wound can heal faster.”
They also specialize in skin grafts and do vein care work as well.
“We use different types of skin grafts and
skin substitutes in our center. We have fantastic outcomes with that,” she said.
White, who has been with the center for more than three years and has 22 years experience of being a registered nurse, said the goal of being at the health fair on Saturday was to let community members know what they do and familiarize themselves with the area.
“We just wanted to get it out in the community. Unless you have a wound and you’re specifically looking for us, a lot of the community doesn’t know we’re there,” she explained. “Everyone knows someone who can benefit from our services. We’re just letting everyone know what we can offer them.
“The one thing I love the most about my job is that we get to see progression and heal our patients and discharge them. With wound care,
it’s nice to see them come in every week and watch them heal out and move on with their lives and enjoy their lives.”
The center was awarded the Robert A. Warriner III, M.D., Clinical Excellence Award last March, and was one of only 57 centers in the U.S. to receive the award.
The medical director of the Grand Lake Wound Care Center is Dr. Kenneth L. Bryant, who also works with the Auglaize+Mercer General and Bariatric Surgery practice.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Month and Practice Manager Elaine Pack was at the fair on Saturday to spread the word of the practice’s offerings.
“Colorectal cancer is a cancer that affects at least one in three people. It’s always good to get screenings,” she said.
Pack said they begin doing screenings when
patients turn 45.
“We definitely promote the screenings because if you get it, it’s a very curable cancer,” she added.
The practice offers what’s called a PillCam SB capsule endoscopy for people who have chronic abdominal pain.
“You would swallow the capsule which is a camera, then you would take home a recorder with it and it takes pictures constantly throughout your whole digestive tract and small bowel area,” Pack explained. “We can see if there’s anything going on without having to have anything intensive like a surgery. It is definitely a benefit to people whose issues are unexplained.”
The practice has two locations: one at 1300 E. Greenville Road, Suite B, in St. Marys and another one at 800 W. Main St., Suite 2E, in Coldwater.