Health fair takes new tack this fall
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — As the summer draws to a close and the fall season will soon be upon us, plans are well underway for The Aroostook Medical Center’s 2016 health fair. This year will be a departure from how it has been offered in recent years.
“For the past three years, our health fair has been held as part of a community-wide Take Flight event that we held in partnership with the Presque Isle Regional Airport, but this year we are trying a new approach,” explained Karen Gonya, TAMC communications manager and one of the coordinators of the health fair.
Take Flight was first envisioned as a way to spotlight Crown Critical Care Transport services while also drawing more people to the health fair. By partnering with the airport and adding community vendors and aviation components, it grew to a large community offering.
“Take Flight has been a great event, and accomplished what we hoped it would,” said Gonya. “However, it was a huge undertaking, and with the construction at the airport, this is a perfect time to make a change.
“The component of Take Flight that has always been most critical to us has been our health fair, and by concentrating our efforts in that one direction, we will be able offer more health screenings, more provider interaction, and other special components. Free flu shots will, of course, continue to be offered at the health fair.”
Hospital officials will partner with Northern Maine Community College to make it all happen.
“We are pleased to be holding our health fair in the gymnasium of NMCC’s Smith Wellness Center,” said Gonya. “This collaboration makes a lot of sense, since NMCC senior nursing students have been a part of our health fair for a number of years. Their booths provide great information on a variety of health topics, and the nursing students are very engaging with the public. Having our health fair at NMCC just takes this partnership one step further.”
The health fair will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to booths by TAMC, NMCC nursing students and a few other area non-profits, there will be free flu shots, health-related screenings and more.
