The First Annual Blacksville Community Health Fair

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The First Annual Blacksville Community Health Fair

• Larissa J. Fordyce, Events Coordinator
• West Virginia University School of Medicine
• Family Medicine Interest Group
• July 28, 2005

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WVU School of Medicine FMIG

• Our organization includes mostly first and second
  year medical students, while third and fourth
  year students participate as their schedules
  permit.
• We meet monthly, usually during lunch, to discuss
  issues pertinent to the field of family medicine
  and often invite guest speakers.

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WVU School of Medicine FMIG

• A senior member of the Family Medicine faculty,
  Dr. David Deci, serves as our advisor.
• We have separate monthly meetings for officers to
  plan and organize upcoming events.
• Other events have included a ski trip with
  emergency first aid training and a Valentines
  Day dessert meeting for couples to discuss
  relationships in medicine.

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Our Idea

• We decided early in the year to host a health
  fair in an underserved community.
• I suggested my home town of Blacksville, which is
  approximately 35 miles west of the city of
  Morgantown, where our school is located.

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Our StateMy Home
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The Town of Blacksville

• Blacksville is a small coal mining community with
  a population of 400.
• Blacksville has a community health center in the
  heart of town, but like most rural communities,
  is highly susceptible to obesity, hypertension,
  diabetes and cancer.

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Organizing the Event

• The Clay-Battelle Community Senior Center was
  reserved for the event.
• We decided to focus on the issues of
  hypertension, glaucoma, cancer and diabetes.
• Students were trained to screen for glaucoma and
  equipment was borrowed from a school organization
  named Sight Savers.

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Organizing the Event

• Students were trained to administer proper blood
  glucose testing.
• The American Cancer Society was contacted. They
  loaned us materials and donated literature.
• A local organization, Dining with Diabetics,
  donated literature and loaned us diabetic
  recipes. The organization offers cooking classes
  for people with diabetes and their families.

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Organizing the Event

• A local business donated a banner, which was
  displayed at the Senior Center a few days before
  the fair.
• Flyers were distributed throughout the community
  of Blacksville.
• Announcements were made in the local newspaper
  and on local radio stations.

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Student Volunteers

• On November 7th, 2004, student volunteers
  gathered to participate in the health fair.
• Volunteers received hour for hour community
  service to count toward our schools requirement
  of 100 hours.

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Blood Pressure Reading

• As visitors arrived, they were led through the
  various stations, starting with blood pressure
  screening.

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Blood Pressure Reading

• They were given a card with their reading, along
  with guidelines from the American Heart
  Association for appropriate blood pressure.
• Literature with information regarding lifestyle
  modifications such as nutrition, salt intake and
  exercise was also offered.

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Glaucoma Screening

• Trained students administered testing to visitors
  and gave them their reading.
• People at risk for glaucoma were advised to seek
  further medical attention.

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Blood Glucose Monitoring

• Trained students administered the blood glucose
  tests.
• Visitors were given their reading along with
  appropriate guidelines and information for
  lifestyle modifications.

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Blood Glucose Monitoring

• Dr. Deci was available for medical advice and to
  answer any questions from our visitors.
• If possible problems were discovered, guests were
  advised to see their physician.

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Cancer Information

• As November was Smoking Cessation month, we
  decided to showcase the effects of smoking on
  normal lungs by displaying an artificial lung
  machine from the American Cancer Society.

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Cancer Information

• We offered information about smoking cessation as
  well.
• There were also display models of prostate, colon
  and cervical cancer.

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Cancer Information

• Information distributed included warning signs,
  screening tests for early detection, and cancer
  prevention.

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Diabetic Recipe Tasting

• Students donated and prepared diabetic recipes to
  allow diabetics and their families to try
  delicious food that is appropriate for a low
  carbohydrate diet.

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Diabetic Recipe Tasting

• Visitors were also given the opportunity to sign
  up for the free cooking classes with the Dining
  with Diabetes organization and were given free
  pamphlet information.

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Local Health Resources

• A representative from the local health clinic in
  Blacksville also volunteered at the health fair
  and distributed information to the guests.

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Positive Outcomes

• More than 25 members of the community came
  together in the common interest of improving
  their health and health awareness.
• Students were given the opportunity to reach out
  to an underserved community and make an impact on
  its members health and well being.

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Positive Outcomes

• Two individuals were identified with unknown
  existing elevated blood pressure.
• Several others were referred for better existing
  diabetes control.
• Enormous amounts of information about
  hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma and cancer was
  distributed.

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Ideas for the Future

• Make the Blacksville Community Health Fair a
  yearly event.
• Focus on advertisement and awareness to promote
  the growth and expansion of the health fair.
• Continue to reach out to underserved communities.

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. David Deci, Faculty Advisor, WVU School of
  Medicine FMIG
• Members of FMIG at WVUSOM and other volunteers
• The American Cancer Society
• Sight Savers
• Dining with Diabetes
• The Clay-Battelle Area Senior Center
• Dr. Janice Morris and the Clay-Battelle Clinic
• The Community of Blacksville

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Contact Me

• For more information, feel free to email me at
  lfordyce_at_mix.wvu.edu

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Thank You !