Health Expo a big success WVUH-East offers several free screenings

By Stephanie Niksich, Special to The Journal

MARTINSBURG – People of all ages from the Eastern Panhandle and surrounding communities came to West Virginia University Hospitals-East’s annual Health Expo Saturday for a number of free screenings, health information and even raffles.

This is the first year the event was held at the Dorothy a. McCormack Center on the City Hospital campus instead of the Martinsburg Mall and while the early morning hours were slow, traffic started to increase by the afternoon.

Overall, the Health Expo was considered a success by Teresa McCabe, vice president of marketing and development of WVUH-East.

Among the free screenings were blood pressure, body mass index, hearing, vision and skin cancer evaluations by local dermatologist Dr. Erik Hurst, which had more than 100 appointments. Diabetes and nutrition information were available; tours of the Wellness Center and Outpatient Diabetes Education Department were conducted; and safety tips on children’s bicycle and swimming safety were offered by trauma services.

“It’s been three of four years since I came to the Health Expo, but I exercise here at the Wellness Center and it’s great,” said Geneva Hollida of Martinsburg. “They’re all great here. They helped me and answered all my questions. I mainly came for the skin cancer screening, but I also got my blood pressure checked and my BMI.”

Booths were lined along the halls of the third floor of the McCormack Center for those who wished to learn about diabetes and proper nutrition. Janet Stefanko, mother of a son with type 1 diabetes, was volunteering to stress the importance about getting blood sugar checks.

“To let your blood sugar go could mean other health troubles that you otherwise wouldn’t be aware of,” Stefanko said. “I want people to know how important it is.”

The nutrition department also provided healthy snacks of fruits, vegetables and chicken chowder along with the recipe to give people a well balanced dinner idea.

“We just want people to be healthy,” Dietitian Joan Starliper said. “Some people have made food the enemy and deprive themselves of it, but food is here to fuel the body with good nutrition. We work with what the customer needs. We’re even willing to take appointments on Saturdays or Sundays.”

Blood glucose screenings have been offered at past Health Expos, but was not included among the screenings this year. Pamela Gesford, a certified diabetes educator, said the diabetes department is hoping to provide the test in the future and is working on policies to work with the regulations.

“I think we’re one of Martinsburg’s best kept secrets,” she said. “We’ve been here for two years but we’re still establishing ourselves. We want people to know we’re here to help. Diabetes is overwhelming and our ultimate goal is to help people.”

Volunteer and diabetes educator Mary Hartshorn displayed a digital nutritional food scale to weigh portion sizes as well as other essential nutrients in food.

“The food scale help’s people understand what they’re eating,” she said. “If you don’t know what’s in the food you eat, then you don’t know what’s affecting your health. The good news is diabetes can be controlled so other health problems don’t have to happen, too.”

City Hospital’s trauma services raffled off a bicycle that was donated by the Center for Orthopedic Excellence and four helmets that were donated by Kmart for the raffle.

“I am very pleased with today’s turnout,” Trauma Coordinator Donnie Grubb said. “Part of our goal is to teach kids and parents about accident prevention. Some parents aren’t aware of the proper sizing for (bicycle) helmets and if we can teach one kid how to wear a helmet, that’s one kid we won’t see in the emergency room with a trauma head injury.”

The Health Expo was jointly sponsored by WVUH-East and Comcast.