Health, wellness and family fun will fill Hermiston High School from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday for the fifth annual Family Health & Fitness Day – and everything is free.
Now in its fifth year, the community health, wellness and safety event is sponsored by the Healthy Communities Coalition, Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation and Good Shepherd Medical Center.
This year, the primary focus will be on screening.
“We have an entire wing of the hospital that is dedicated to screenings,” organizer Juli Gregory said. “We calculated it out, and if someone was able to participate in all our screenings, they’d save at least $1,500.”
Screenings include vision, dental, depression, stress management, blood pressure, diabetes and skin cancer. Professionals, including pharmacists, dieticians and nurse practitioners, will be on-site to answer questions.
In the screening mall, visitors will also have the option to walk through two different simulations. One, “Virtual Dementia Tours,” will give participants an idea of what it’s like to go through dementia. The other, “In Her Shoes,” covers domestic violence from the perspective of the victim.
“I’ve been through both, and they’re very, very powerful. I thought I understood what people went through, but both of them left me saying, ‘Wow,’ ” Gregory said.
In addition to the screening row, the event will take over almost half of the HHS facility.
Cooking classes for children and adults will also take place, as well as a bike rodeo, demonstrations and tours of fire trucks, ambulances and medical helicopters.
Both MedStar and LifeFlight are expected to land helicopters at the high school for the event, one at 10 a.m. and one at noon.
The purple gym will showcase activities, demonstrations and information booths for adults and seniors; the gold gym will be filled with youth activities, including the return of the popular “Teddy Bear Clinic.”
In the clinic, children can either bring a stuffed animal from home or receive a teddy bear on site. The child gives the toy a name and then follows it through the admissions process at a hospital, including being seen by a doctor, having an X-ray taken and discharge.
A drawing will also take place for a 2-foot-tall Teddy bear. The child who wins will receive a tour of the emergency room at Good Shepherd Medical Center, in addition to the stuffed toy.
The largest Teddy bear at Family Health and Fitness Day will be the GSMC mascot, “Dr. John-John.” With his tennis shoes, lab coat and stethoscope, Dr. John-John will both entertain children and serve as a reminder that this year’s entire event is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Marvin John, a longtime Umatilla County physician who died this year.
“We’re holding the whole event in honor of Dr. John, and we’re glad we can honor him,” Gregory said. “He was so full of life and made such a difference to this community.”
Family Health & Fitness Day runs from 9 a.m. To 2 p.m. Saturday at Hermiston High School, 600 S First St, Hermiston. For more information, call 541-667-3509.
Full list of screenings:
• Blood Pressure checks
• Colorectal Cancer Screening Kits
• Vision/Hearing Examinations (Casey Eye Institute and Hermiston Hearing Center)
• Dental Screenings
• BMI & Body Composition Analysis
• Fall Prevention with Good Shepherd Occupation Therapist
• Providence TeleStroke
• Diabetes Info/Foot Checks with Good Shepherd Diabetes Educators
• Lung Function Testing
• Cardiac Risk Assessment
• “Ask a Medical Question” with a Healthcare Professional
• Memory and Stress Management Screening
• Depression & Suicide Screening with Qualified Healthcare Professionals (confidential)
• Skin Cancer Checks
• “Ask a Pharmacist”
• Nutrition Screening with a Registered Dietitian
• Lion’s Screening Van
