The Fort Norfolk Chapter of Federally Employed Women (FEW) hosted a health fair June 17 as a part of the sixth annual
Safety & Health Week organized by the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Medical professionals from Ghent Chiropractic, Optima/Sentara Healthcare were on hand to provide free health screenings and counseling related to blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes risk, body mass index, tobacco cessation and chiropractic therapy. The health fair, scheduled to take place from 10AM-2PM, was a success as health care professionals conducted non-stop screenings and counseling for the entire four hour duration of the event. Around 1PM, supplies furnished by Optima/Sentara Healthcare such as the finger pricks were all gone. Despite the supply outage, representatives continued to check blood pressure and cholesterol in addition to answering questions of inquisitive attendees.
On-site screenings, such as the screenings during FEW's event, benefit both the employer and employee. It is well documented that early detection can help employees detect health risks of which they might not have been previously aware and avoid health-related complications, therefore saving health care dollars for potential long-term care.
The picture above shows the variety of materials and information provided by Alverine Mack, tobacco specialist for Optima/Sentara Healthcare.
