Often, small business owners and employees put all they have into keeping their businesses running and find themselves uninsured or underinsured. This may keep them from taking important preventive healthcare measures such as scheduling a yearly dental exam, blood work, mammogram or even an eye exam.
To address this concern and offer health screenings to small businesses and their employees, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, North Country HealthCare and Mountain Heart are hosting the fifth annual Flagstaff’s Small Business Health Fair from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, April 12 at the Flagstaff Aquaplex, 1702 N. 4th Street.
“This is the best health fair in Flagstaff,” said North Country HealthCare Public Relations Coordinator Katie Brock. “Where else can you simply show up and have the opportunity to receive over 15 free health screenings?”
Flagstaff’s Small Business Health Fair also provides information about health and healthcare services.
“I’ve talked to people who say that one or more of the screenings that they received at the fair may have saved their lives,” said Brock. “We’ve found that many put off important preventive measures because they simply don’t know where to begin. North Country HealthCare created this fair in hopes that people would connect with health resources in the community that they desperately needed.”
Participating vendors are required to have some kind of free or discounted service or screening available to small business employees. Some of the free services available include cardiovascular health screenings (EKGs), diet assessment screenings, foot screenings, sleep health screenings, COPD screenings, on-site mammography (and other cancer screenings) for eligible women, free colorectal cancer screening take-home tests, ear canal checks, dental screenings, basic vision exams, blood pressure checks, HIV testing, blood glucose checks, BMI measurements, acupuncture sampling, massages and more.
The most popular screening available at the fair is the baseline blood test offered to the first 200 people who sign up. This screening is a complete lipid panel that also evaluates 30 items related to kidney/liver function, iron, nutrition, diabetes, bone, electrolytes and gout.
Attendees also will have the opportunity to learn about health insurance options, meet with local fitness professionals and sample food from local eateries. The Cottage Place has attended all four of the past fairs. Owner Nancy Branham says the event is an excellent resource for the small business community. “We encourage our employees to go to the Small Business Health Fair because of the extensive amount of free information and screenings that are available in one location.”
Branham also said that each year she enjoys sharing The Cottage Place’s healthy food options with attendees. This year, people will have the opportunity to sample a heart healthy, non-fat dessert called Arizona Cream.
The first Small Business Health Fair was planned in a few short months and was an instant success. The fair was held in the small house on North Country HealthCare’s 4th Street campus and had about 20 vendors in attendance. People were invited to visit the fair and receive free blood work, massages and more. More people attended than expected, allowing the fair to move to the Flagstaff Aquaplex the following year.
By polling attendees and finding what services are most important to them, the planning committee aims to make this Flagstaff’s most inclusive health fair. “This year’s event promises to be the most valuable fair yet with the addition of over five new screenings, including on-site mammography,” said Brock.
This year North Country HealthCare has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Mountain Heart, PS Printing, the City of Flagstaff, the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, Flagstaff Independent Business Alliance, the Coconino Community College Small Business Development Center, Flagstaff Business News and Coconino County Public Health Services District. FBN
To learn more about the fair or to sign up for a free baseline blood test, call Katie Brock at 928-774-8304.