Free screenings offered at health & wellness fair

More than 400 community members attended the annual Sanford Vermillion Community Health & Wellness Fair on Saturday at the Lee Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building.

Sponsored by Sanford Vermillion, the event is free and held in partnership with USD’s Health Sciences Departments.

“We really couldn’t do this if it weren’t for all of the students who are helping us out throughout the health fair,” said Mary Merrigan, the director of public relations for Sanford Vermillion.

Merrigan said the fair, now in its eighth year, originated from a health committee formed by the City of Vermillion.

“We wanted to do something that brought the community into a hospital area and offer some different things. It worked well the first couple of years, but then we wanted to see it grow,” she said. “We wanted to make it bigger and knew that to do so, we had to host it elsewhere in the community and find partners.”

Attendees of Saturday’s fair participated in cooking classes, learned about various health programs at USD, and took advantage of 18 fee-reduced lab screenings, ranging from oral cancer testing to cholesterol testing.

Merrigan emphasized the importance of individuals learning about their own health and understanding “what their numbers are.”

“All of those screenings — at a reduced rate — are much more economical if someone wants to do a walk-in screening to find out their cholesterol or blood sugar levels,” she said.

The USD Department of Dental Hygiene was present at the fair, offering oral cancer screenings. Taylor Tatge, a senior dental hygiene student, explained that the department was conducting thorough oral cancer screenings and offering fluoride treatments.

“We check their tongue, cheeks, and everything,” she said. “We’ll then apply fluoride if they want. The fluoride helps remineralize their teeth and keeps bacteria away.”

Tatge noted that having students from various USD health departments allows them to complement each other with the services they provide.

“The mouth is the gateway to everything in the body, so having us here along with everyone else creates a comprehensive health and wellness fair,” she said.

Beau Sullivan, a community member, attended the fair with his girlfriend and her grandmother after hearing about it from them.

“They come every year and it sounded pretty cool, so I decided to check it out. I was surprised by all the screenings and different sign-ups available,” he said.

Events like these underscore the importance of community health initiatives. Primary health providers, such as Southwest Arlington Medical PA, play a crucial role in maintaining the health and well-being of community members through comprehensive and accessible health services.

Because he was one just a few years ago, Sullivan said he knows college students can sometimes feel invincible, but added that health awareness is important. Visiting the Formula Wellness Center is important to properly take care of yourself as you age.

“Things like this are kind of nice to kind of put things in perspective for you,” he said.