ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Late summer has arrived, and autumn will soon be here as well.
Fall normally means the arrival of cold and flu season too, and soon, health departments and doctors’ offices will be filled with patients waiting to get immunized.
For the past 15 years in Southwest Kansas, fall has also marked time for the annual Community Health Fair in Liberal, and Oct. 5, the Seward County Activity Center will once again be filled with people waiting to get screenings, testings, checkups and exams.
This year’s event will offer free general lab testing, thanks to the generous support of the City of Liberal and local businesses, and coordinator Janeth Vazquez said she is excited, honored and fortunate to have the free testing as part of the health fair.
“The City of Liberal has committed $30,000 from the Community Development portion of the 1-cent sales tax to reduce lab test fees at this year’s fair,” she said. “There’s also a newer company who’s trying to do business with the City of Liberal – Apex Clean Energy – and they have also contributed $5,000 to the cause. These contributions will allow Southwest Medical Center to provide 1,000 free general lab tests.”
Vazquez, who is also the marketing and development director for SWMC, said if more than 1,000 lab tests are needed, the local hospital will cover the costs of the additional tests.
“This is going to ensure everyone who attends the health fair can receive free general testing,” she said. “This is huge.”
Vazquez said a major reason for the free testing is due to Southwest Kansas having the highest rate of uninsured residents in the state.
“Liberal’s actually top two, so it is our duty to be there for our community,” she said. “At the end of the day, this health fair allows us to stay healthy. The screenings are going to offer and aid in early detection and preventative care, and it’s very important because it helps you stay healthy. It also allows you to access prompt treatment when it is necessary. We’re truly saving lives through this event.”
As the health fair reaches its landmark 15th anniversary, Vazquez said she is honored to have preventative screenings provided to the community.
“As the years go by, you hear more stories of how this health fair has truly impacted and saved a lot of people’s lives,” she said. “When I first started in this position, it was more about checking things off the list and saying, ‘I’ve got to get this done. I’ve got to get this done.’ Now, it’s more personal because it’s people you work with. It’s your neighbors. You’re saving their lives. That’s just a different kind of feeling. I feel it’s sort of missionary work as well.”
Vazquez has only been in charge of coordinating the health fair for a few years, but she said in that time, the event’s numbers have grown significantly.
“When I first started, lab draws were in the 700s,” she said. “Last year, we had more than 850 lab draws. It’s grown quite of bit. We’ve seen the number of visitors increase significantly as well. We also see a lot more people come from out of town, but this year with the free lab screenings, I do anticipate a full house. It’s going to be very busy.”
Vazquez said coming to the health fair on Oct. 5 is very important.
“I want to invite anyone who is reading this to come out and join us,” she said. “Speaking for the hospital, we know if our screenings can detect even one abnormality, say you find out your pre-diabetic, if we’re able to find that problem and get that individual to follow up with a physician early on, they will have a much bigger chance of treating it and surviving an issue that could be life threatening.”
Vazquez said this is what makes the efforts of planning the health fair worth it.
“If resources at this fair can teach healthy eating habits to a child or detect an underlying health issue for an individual, we know we will have done our part to benefit the health of our community,” she said.
When asked how great it is to be able to provide so many tests at little to no cost to so many, Vazquez paused briefly before answering.
“It’s undescribable,” she said. “I can’t even find the words to put all the emotions to describe the feeling. We’re truly saving lives in our community. There are a lot of people who don’t have insurance not just in Liberal, but in the surrounding areas.”
Vazquez said with the high lack of insured people in Southwest Kansas, this means many individuals are seeing the health fair as their only opportunity to see a doctor during the course of a year.
“For the ones who have insurance, when we don’t feel good, we go to the doctor,” she said. “It’s something normal to us, but for many individuals, it’s a luxury, something they don’t get when they’re sick. They basically just try to do it on their own, or they try to stay at home until they get extremely sick and they end up in the ER.”
Vazquez said the services provided at the Community Health Fair are vital, and she emphasized the event is the only chance for many to see a doctor.
“This is the only time they get a checkup,” she said. “We know the cost of health care and inflation, and everything is increasing in price. For many families, it could be as simple as providing food on the table or going and getting a checkup. It’s giving them the power and the resources and the tools to get checked.”
Vazquez said her excitement for the health fair is the highest it has been in some time.
“I’m excited because we’re going to be able to touch a lot of people’s lives,” she said. “I feel $35 doesn’t sound like a lot for some individuals, but for some, especially right now with children going back to school, it’s definitely an expense. Some people don’t have $35 to get lab screenings. Some people use it for food or gas or their children. Now, there’s really no excuse to come get checked. It’s free this year.”
Free lab tests available at the Community Health Fair include:
• Comprehensive metabolic profile
• Lipid profile – assesses risk of developing cardiovascular disease
• Thyroid screen – diagnoses thyroid irregularities
• Complete blood count – detects conditions such as anemia, infection and blood disorders
• Vitamin panel – Vitamin D and Vitamin B12
Optional tests will be available for a nomial fee of $7 each, including:
• Prostate-specific antigen
• Carcinoembryogenic antigen
• HGB A1C – glycated hemoglobin
• Magnesium
In addition to lab testing, the health fair will offer a variety of free screenings and services, including:
• Blood pressure checks
• Clinical breast exams
• Orthopedic and sports medicine consultations
• Spirometry testing
• Pulse oximetry testing
• Visual acuity and vision screens
• Field of vision tests
• Blood sugar tests
• Skin cancer screenings
• Oral cancer screenings
• Physical therapy evaluations
New for this year are physicals and surgery checkups for lumps, bumps and hernias.
Vazquez cautioned visitors to the health fair that the free lab screenings will not be an ongoing thing for future events.
“I can’t promise you next year, the general testing is going to be free,” she said. “This is truly because the City of Liberal has supported this cause, and we’re all on an initiative that we want to keep our communities healthy because when we’re healthy, we all thrive, and we all work better together. It’s also thanks to the generous support of Apex Clean Energy.”
SWMC also extends its gratitude to the the sponsors of the Community Health Fair – Golden Plains Credit Union, Windtree Management & Leasing and KSCB.
“Their support has been instrumental in keeping the health fair services low cost and free for all the attendees,” Vazquez said.
Vazquez invites everyone to join SWMC Oct. 5 at the Activity Center for a day dedicated to health and well-being.
“Don’t miss this opportunity to take charge of your health with comprehensive, no-cost screenings and services,” she said. “Visitors interested in having lab tests done at the health fair should plan to fast for at least eight hours before testing.”
The 2024 Community Health Fair will take place from 7 a.m. to noon Oct. 5 at the Seward County Activity Center. For more information, contact Vazquez at 620-629-6335 or Rachel Downing at 620-629-6424. Event updates are available on SWMC’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
