Hospital to host health fair
by Carrie Switzer, staff writer
6 years ago | 148 views | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Ross Olson — an energetic specimen of health if ever there was one — made a pitch on Tuesday for preventive health that a receptive group of Moab Chamber of Commerce members could hardly resist. Offering free and substantially reduced health screenings and a carnival-like health fair to be held on April 16, Olson likened screenings for people to oil changes and checking tire pressure and anti-freeze levels for cars.

“Bad valves are not a good thing,” he said during the chamber’s weekly lunch meeting. “The number one cause of vehicle break downs is low tire pressure and number three is oil. Does anybody know what number two is?”

Low coolant.

“It’s very unhealthy for the vehicle,” he added, “and when it breaks, you get it fixed.”

Number one cause of death for Utahns over 30 years old is heart disease, followed by cancer and stroke. These are the nationwide averages as well, Olson said. For those under 30 the number one cause of death is accidents.

“We’ll have folks at the health fair talking about bicycle and mountain bike safety,” Olson said. “There’s more to being healthy than diet and exercise. We want to be financially healthy and we want close relationships with family. We want to be joyful and have people enjoy being around us.”

While all of these contribute to good health, Olson said the fair would help people determine their general health with cholesterol screening, blood pressure tests, and basic eye and dental exams.

“We will have a lot of different assessments to determine your state of health,” he said. “It’s up to you to decide what to do with the information.”

This week only, through Friday, April 8, Allen Memorial Hospital is offering a blood chemistry profile for $50, with the results to be presented to the patient at the health fair or by mail. These tests usually cost $250, he said, and encompass a complete blood count that may indicate if a person is lacking nutrients, fighting infection and other data that could indicate early detection of a manageable health issue.

“Most people either want to become more healthy or make sure they stay healthy,” Olson said. “I haven’t talked to anyone who says they don’t want to be healthy. This fair is like your car’s 24-point check that it gets at the fast-lube place.”

The Community Health Fair will be held at the Grand County Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16. For more information call Olson at 259-7191. To schedule a blood chemistry profile call 259-2772 for an appointment, or drop in to the Canyonlands Medical Center, Suite B (across the street from Allen Memorial Hospital) between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. A 12-hour fast is recommended for the best results.
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