The National Kidney Foundation participated in the Third Annual Community Health Fair at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in St. Louis this past Sunday, 28 August 2016, by providing kidney screening free of charge. The screening was only part of the event, which was a collaborative effort of health care providers, exhibitors and volunteers organized by the Eastern Missouri Laborers’ District Council and Laborers Local’ 110.
The participating Unions organized the health fair three years ago to help the large number of uninsured in St. Louis’ immigrant community. Although the fair was originally designed as a resource for the Latino Community, it has grown to welcome all immigrant groups and members of the public. All screenings and services are provided at no cost to participants. This year, the Community Action Agency of St Louis County played a major support role in the planning, organizing, and management of the health fair.
The 285 attendees of the fair definitely appreciated the event. Comments on the evaluation forms filled out by participants included: “This was excellent! Thank you for your investment of time in today’s health fair that truly benefitted the Latino community;” and “This screening is a wonderful thing for the community, Thank You!!!”
The providers, their services, and the number of participants involved are as follows:
- The National Kidney Foundation provided diabetes and high blood pressure risk surveys, blood pressure check, body mass index measurement, the opportunity to speak with a healthcare professional, free educational materials, and an ACR urine test for albumin for those at risk. Of the 83 individuals screened, five were found to have an abnormal albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR) of 30-300 mg/g, and three had a high-abnormal ACR of greater than 300 mg/g.
- SLU Hospital and Laborers’ Union nurses measured Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Blood Glucose, and A1C tests to 109 people (436 individual tests/screenings).
- SLU Hospital Portable Cardiac Unit administered 65 EKG tests.
- St Louis City Dept. of Public Health saw 19 people and administered several HIV, STD, and Hepatitis C tests.
- Delta Gamma Vision Center for Children screened 19 kids and referred 5 to Optometrists.
- The Mexican Consulate’s Ventanilla de Salud – Window to Health Care & the Rogers Health Center provided 54 vision screenings for adults.
- The Missouri School of Dentistry at A.T. Still University screened 40 individuals.
- Thirty interpreters from the following organizations participated in the event: the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at Washington University, the Boeing Hispanic Employees Network, LAMP, Christian Brothers College HS and others.
- Food and Live entertainment was provided by Latinos en Axion STL and featured the Orquestra Mintsita P’urhepecha, a university student group from Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico.
For more information on collaborating/participating in the 2017 St. Cecilia’s health fair and other events, please contact the diversity and outreach representative for the Laborers’ Union, Sal Valadez, at salvaladez85@gmail.com. Click here for full list of sponsors, services, exhibitors, interpreters and volunteers.
The next NKF Keep Healthy free screening will be held October 15th at Hazelwood East High School.