Health fair offers visitors prescription for healthy living

Karin Odom barely winced when South Florida Baptist Hospital registered nurse Marcela Seelig's lance made a small prick in the skin of Odom's finger.

In a flash, Seelig took the blood sample, tested it and gave Odom results on her cholesterol test. From that station, Odom said she would continue to get physical checks at the various stations set up at the second-annual FishHawk Ranch Health Fair.

Held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nov. 7, both outside and in the Park Square offices, 411 people - 238 adults and 173 children - visited on a warm, sunny day, getting information and screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, skin cancer and osteoporosis; getting their seasonal flu shots; and culling information on children's nutrition and car seat safety.

As she left the blood testing station, Odom, a five-year resident of FishHawk, said she was impressed by all that was offered in one area in a relatively short time.

"I wanted to have my cholesterol checked to see if it's gotten better," she said. "It's great here. I think it's convenient for us here; I could just walk to it."

This year's health fair, organized by Heather Coats, South Florida Baptist's community health program coordinator, said she and other organizers strive to give visitors a well-rounded health-check and awareness experience, for both children and adults.

Coats also wanted to make visitors aware of the South Florida physician's office, which opened in Park Square in late 2008. Beginning in January, the office will be directed by Dr. Monica Rivera-Amill, family medicine.

Rivera-Amill, who spent the day giving out South Florida Baptist pens and brochures and answering questions about the FishHawk clinic, said area residents should take advantage of the health care center's proximity at 16144 Churchview Drive, Suite 109.

"This is a community that's fairly new and I wanted to have my own practice and South Florida Baptist gave me the opportunity," she said. "This (health fair) is a way of getting the community involved in getting more health-related information out there."

During this year's health fair, a bicycle safety rodeo was held for the first time and healthy cooking demonstrations and children's nutrition information were on-site. There were also plenty of games and entertainment, including a moonwalk, face painting, airbrush tattoos and a roaming magician.

To keep visitors going, a free cookout lunch of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and hot dogs was given out. Later in the day, a Wii videogame console was given away in a raffle.

Coats estimated many of the approximately 400 people who attended this year took advantage of one or more of the free medical screening or health seminars. She said as in the past, no vendors were invited to the fair and only South Florida Baptist staff was permitted to set up booths.

"We want people to realize all the services that South Florida Baptist provides; we're not as far away as people think and with the clinic, now we're right in their backyards," she said.

Seelig said the visitors she checked and chatted with said they were pleased with what the health fair offers each year and look forward to its return.

"It's great. I think it's very convenient for them and they get results right away," she said.

Other services offered during the day included "Germbusters," teaching proper hand washing techniques to children; palm print registration for future patients; and children's fingerprinting and identification program.