PRESIDENT’S LETTER
The 2019 Health Fair By Julia M. Walter, MD
T
he 15th Annual SCMS Health Fair was held on Saturday, March 16, 2019. The Health Fair started in 2004 when Dr. Su Gudipati was presidentelect, and was originally held at MCVI with 24 vendors and 250 attending. When we outgrew MCVI, the Health Fair was moved to the Germania Towne and Country Club, and grew to 50 vendors and 500 attending. When the Germania closed at the end of 2010, the Health Fair was moved in 2011 to Horizons Conference Center, and has grown to 80 vendors and 900-1,000 attending. The Health Fair is provided as a service to the community, and is not intended to be a money maker, instead trying to break even. This year, as with others, the lines started about 30-60 minutes prior to the doors opening. Once the doors opened, the attendees signed in and received bags for collectibles. Many were in wheelchairs, and they all flowed smoothly in and out through the various booths. There were many collectibles, information packets, cups, drinks, snacks and the coveted SCMS
Public Membership Directory to be had throughout. While it appeared all the space was occupied from corner to corner, there was not a claustrophobic feel, but instead an openness with plenty of room to breathe. Popular screenings included cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and depression. Mini seminars were held on Advanced Directives. Again this year, those attending were asked to consider donating non-perishable food items to benefit the East Side Soup Kitchen. The Health Department and Sheriff’s Department collected unused and expired medication. Vendors also had opportunities to peruse the booths, connecting with colleagues, developing new contacts and collecting information and brochures to pass on to their patients. CMU College of Medicine/ CMU Health medical students and residents were invaluable providing blood pressure, depression and diabetic foot screenings. Delta College Nursing students and faculty helped vendors set up and tear down, staffed the registration desk and performed exit surveys. They also assisted MCVI,
Saginaw County Family Physicians and Great Lakes Bay Health with cholesterol and glucose screenings. All vendors, students, residents and volunteers were given breakfast coffee, tea and juice just off the beaten path, funded in part by Saginaw Medical Federal Credit Union. Patients had their stories to tell and enjoyed having an opportunity to share what medical conditions they were dealing with and what they had been through. Some were experiencing symptoms and wanted medical advice. Others enjoyed making the personal connections of having a conversation with their physician outside the office, sharing their genuine appreciation and fondness. Others welcomed the human touch and information of having their blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol checked. At the depression screening, one vendor commented that it was not so much the depression screening that they wanted, but the companionship of talking with someone who was interested in them and what they had to say.
There were many collectibles, information packets, cups, drinks, snacks and the coveted SCMS Public Membership Directory to be had throughout.
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The Bulletin | April 2019