Fair celebrates 30 years of good health

“Take a day to be well” has been the ongoing theme of the Rotary Health Fair. Now in its 30th year, the annual day of booths and presentations gives people the knowledge they need to be healthy.

“We’ve got a model with this Health Fair that works so well,” said Sharon Minsch, coordinator of the fair for the Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary. “The overall goal is to bring as much information as we can to the public.”

The Health Fair, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at Homer High School, is sponsored by Rotary in cooperation with South Peninsula Hospital. (For a list of exhibitors, see page 14.)

Once again, the Health Fair offers low-cost blood tests. Blood draws can be done by appointment at the fair. Appointments for early blood draws at the hospital are full, with about 400 people already having completed the blood tests. People can make an appointment on line at sphosp.org.

Minsch said people who show up at the fair without appointments will be assigned to an available time. Payment must be made by cash or check at time of the blood draw, and checks can be made to Rotary.

People who got early blood draws can pick up results and discuss them with medical professionals, Minsch said.

“That’s something that not everybody has caught on to,” she said.

Rotary also bought 200 influenza vaccinations to be administered at the Seldovia Village Tribe Health Clinic booth for people without health insurance or who cannot afford vaccines. State public health nurses used to give out flu shots for free or reduced cost to adults, but quit doing that several years ago.

“Rotary has stepped up and said, ‘We (the health fair) can’t get them for free. We’re just going to do it,’” Minsch said.

SVT Health Clinic staff will offer information on signing up for health insurance on federal exchanges with the Affordable Care Act. SVT also will have information on Veterans Administration health care programs, including how to sign up for Medicaid under new rules with the Affordable Care Act.

“They’re doing lots of outreach to make the veterans know what services they’re eligible for and get them signed up for,” Minsch said.

Booths offer a wide variety of information on everything from dental care, substance abuse treatment, exercise and Vitamin D supplements.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at
michael.armstrong@homernews.com.

30th Annual Rotary Health Fair

When:

7:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday

Where:

Homer High School

Health-related demonstrations:

10 a.m.: Yoga with
Melisse Reichmann;

10:30 a.m.: Zumba
with Maria Santa Lucia;

10:50 a.m.: Hoop fitness with Kammi Matson;