Crowds of St. Thomas-St. John residents and visitors mingled in Emancipation Garden Tuesday as health providers and service groups offered free screenings and advice promoting healthy living.
It was the second annual health fair sponsored by Sen. Ray Fonseca, chair of the 36th Legislature’s Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee. Organizers said they hoped to glean insights from the numerous health screenings and referrals to inform talks among lawmakers and help them set spending priorities. “This initiative seeks to address critical public health challenges and improve the living conditions for numerous individuals,“ said a statement issued before Tuesday’s event.
Representatives from Health, Agriculture, East End Medical Center, the V.I. Center for Diabetes Excellence, and SkyMed air ambulance service were on hand to answer questions.
Many of those spending Tuesday morning in the park were seniors from St. Thomas and St. John. Musical performances by local students and an invited musician caused passersby to pause and linger nearby.
Over by the Health Department display, Kisha Williams showed Country Hamilton how to perform a water quality test using a prepackaged kit. Williams explained that the kit allows users to check for contaminants in their home supply.
Lakiah Meade, director of Maternal and Child Health, was among those on hand to greet the public. Although the services she offered seemed like a mismatch with elderly participants, she said the interactions were largely positive.
“We were able to provide grandmothers, grandparents with information for their grandchildren, especially for the WIC Program,” Meade said.
At the East End Medical Center exhibit, Dianne Morales offered blood pressure and other tests. “We’re also here if anyone wants an appointment; we can get them enrolled to see a provider,” Morales said.
Morales serves as the assistant to Medical Director Trisha Harris. Beside her was a table filled with brochures describing a slew of health conditions. “We also have information for every walk of life from 0 to 99 … We’re giving education on diabetes and … how to take your medications, how to see a physician on a regular basis; what your numbers should look like,” she said.
Early visitors to the health fair were treated to lunch before boarding vehicles for the trip back to their respective homes. Volunteer Sandra Colburne from the Institute for Social Change said her group arranged transport for seniors living in Pilgrim Terrace.
Part of the group’s mission is to engage older adults in community-based activities. “We focus on the elderly in the community; today we had the health fair that was held by Senator Fonseca,” she said.
Fonseca, host of Tuesday’s fair, relaxed in a chair in the David Monsanto Bandstand, stepping to the announcer’s mic to draw tickets for a raffle prize. “The turnout was awesome — very hot and humid but it was an excellent turnout,” he said.
Since these fairs began, he said, they have welcomed residents from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John with the goal of keeping the community healthy and aware of the services available to them.
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