Westside Community Health Fair

All traditions have a beginning, and the Second Annual Westside Community Health Fair certainly has the makings of a successful tradition. This year's Westside Community Health Fair took place on October 21st and marked the conclusion of National Primary Care Week.

The Westside Clinic is a community-based outreach clinic for Wishard Memorial Hospital, which is the county hospital for Indianapolis and one of the main teaching sites for students and residents at the Indiana University School of Medicine. As an outreach clinic providing primary care services in an underserved area, the community has recognized Westside as a healthcare resource which made it a perfect site for hosting the Health Fair.

The Westside Community Health Fair is organized by students from the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indiana University School of Dentistry, and the Indiana University School of Allied Health Sciences. Special acknowledgement is extended to the Student Advisory Board members of the Internal Medicine Students' Interest Group (IMSIG), which is the student group affiliated with the Indiana ACP-ASIM Chapter. These student leaders helped recruit and coordinate the many interested students, and the Health Fair's success is an excellent reflection of their efforts. With this said, the efforts of the many participating students should not be minimized. Over 60 students participated in the Health Fair in educating the public about a select number of health issues, and another 40 students provided the necessary administrative support (i.e. provided training, arranged displays, solicited sponsorship, and collected educational materials).

Many sponsors made the Westside Community Health Fair possible, and their support is acknowledged. A complete list is provided at the end of this article, but special mention is made of the support provided by the IUSOM Department of Medicine, IUSOM Student Government, IUSOM Department of Pediatrics, IUSOM Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Allied Health Sciences for the Occupational Therapy Program and Nutrition & Dietetics, IUSOM Department of Family Medicine, and the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

There were many positive impacts from the Health Fair. Members of the community learned about important health topics and received free health screens. Wishard Memorial Hospital and IUSOM had an opportunity to present themselves as purveyors of health care in an underserved area and earn goodwill from the community. And, students gained experience with several aspects of patient care (e.g. measuring blood pressures and blood sugar monitoring) and more importantly learned communication skills that will help them to explain complex medical issues to their patients.

Over 200 members from the community with their families attended the day-long Westside Community Health Fair. However, the success of the Health Fair is best demonstrated by the pictures from the event.

Photos:

Over 20 different informational booths were organized by the students. Hypertension, Colon Cancer, Skin Cancer, Cholesterol, Diabetes Mellitus, Women's Health, Dental Health, Fire Safety, Nutrition, and Smoking Cessation were some of the topics presented at the Health Fair. These photos of the Cholesterol Screening, Smoking Cessation and Domestic Violence Booths, respectively, were taken before the Health Fair opened. Notice the nice red T-shirts that were designed for the student participants.

The welcome table was busy throughout the day. After registering, people were directed to the different areas of the Health Fair. In the background is Buckle-Up Bug, who instructs children on the importance of wearing their seatbelts.

IUSOM Department of Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics faculty members were on-hand to assist the students and answer more complex questions from the public.

The Colon Cancer, Blood Pressure Screening, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Screening, and Diabetes Mellitus booths are pictured above and were very well received.

Students from the Indiana University School of Dentistry explained the importance of brushing teeth.

Students form the Pediatric Students' Interest Group explained to children the importance of bike and fire safety.

The students from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University School of Dentistry and the Indiana University School of Allied Health Sciences should be congratulated on hosting the successful Westside Community Health Fair. Their willingness to educate others about health issues is a credit to them and their calling.

The following sponsors made this event possible: (in no particular order)

IUSOM Department of Medicine
IUSOM Student Government
IUSOM Department of Pediatrics
IUSOM Department of Dermatology
Indiana University School of Allied Health Sciences
Occupational Therapy Program
Nutrition and Dietetics
IUSOM Department of Family Medicine
Indiana University School of Dentistry
Westside Health Center
Clarian Health
Wishard Health Services
Indiana University Medical Group
Indiana University Medical Group - Specialty Care
Indiana University Cancer Center
IUSOM, Senior Care Program
Bell Flower Clinic
Integrative Pain Center
Center of Excellence in Women's Health
Riley Hospital Community Education Department
IUSOM, Automotive Safety for Children at Riley Hospital
IUSOM Ophthalmology Department
Wishard Memorial Hospital Hispanic Health Project
Internal Medicine StudentsŐ Interest Group
Pediatric StudentsŐ Interest Group
Dermatology StudentsŐ Interest Group
OB/Gyn StudentsŐ Interest Group
Student National Medical Association
Marion County Health Department
Indiana State Department of Health
Indiana Poison Control Center
Indiana Chapter of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM)
American Medical Student Association
American Diabetes Association
American Cancer Society
Indianapolis Fire Department
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Little Red Door
The Julian Center
Parke-Davis
Pratt-Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Roche Diagnostics
SmithKline Beecham
National Institute for Fitness and Sport
NCAA
Logo 7
Meijer
Target Stores (West 38th Street)
Texas Roadhouse
Applebee's (Pike Plaza)
Chili's (Eagle Highlands)
United Artists Eagle Highlands
Jeffrey and Polly Moore

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Contact Information

Indiana Chapter Governor:
Michael C. Sha, MD, FACP

Shelly Symmes
Chapter Administrator
Ph: 317-261-2060
Email: ssymmes@ismanet.org