Wellness Wednesdays in 2008: Health Screenings and Assessments Can Save Lives

In an effort to improve community health, South Central Regional Medical Center and the Laurel medical community will sponsor Wellness Wednesdays in 2008. Each Wednesday members of the community can participate in a health screening or assessment at South Central Place. Most of the screenings and assessments will be provided at no charge to the community.

Linda Gavin, associate executive director of Marketing and Planning at South Central says, “Prevention and early detection save lives. For years, South Central Regional Medical Center has offered programs and services to promote good health.” Programs include: HealthBreak, South Central’s weekly health segment that airs on WDAM; The Women’s Life Conference, one of the state’s largest women’s health events; community and corporate health fairs; health talks; wellness center sponsored events; luncheon programs such as Speaking of Women; and more.

South Central’s Community Health Initiative, ALIVE Jones County, has worked hard over the years to reduce the teen pregnancy rate, reduce child abuse, and promote parenting and healthy families. ALIVE Jones County has also offered programs to promote good nutrition and exercise.

Gavin encourages all residents to watch South Central’s HealthBreak segment on WDAM each week in 2008. Segments will continue to air each Monday evening during the 6 o’clock news and each Tuesday morning during the Today Show. “Our HealthBreak program will feature a different health topic each week. The topic will include signs and symptoms of the health condition discussed. The segment will also provide a date and time for an upcoming screening or assessment at South Central Place.

“South Central’s community health nurses, Karen Vanderslice, R.N., and Rhonda Williamson, R.N., will coordinate a free screening or assessment the Wednesday after the HealthBreak segment airs to determine if those participating are at risk for the condition discussed that week on HealthBreak,” she continues.

“Our goal is to help those that live in the communities that we serve identify signs and symptoms of a variety of medical conditions that can negatively impact their health, and then to follow up with a screening or assessment to determine if they are at risk,” Gavin says. “We hope to identify those at risk early in the disease process so that they can get the help they need to live a long and healthy life.”

Health topics and screenings that have already been identified as part of the Wellness Wednesdays community health screening initiative are: depression, acid reflux disease, sleep apnea, diabetes, skin cancer, skin damage, breast cancer, osteoporosis, swallowing disorders, cholesterol, balance disorders, cervical disk disease, and more.