Editorial: Saturday's health fair is an important event you should attend | Featured Stories Update

By FYH News Team

Published on February 16, 2022

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During much of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have neglected their overall health. Some have skipped their annual health checkups while others have been hesitant to see their doctor, whether it’s due to a lack of health care coverage or fear of contracting COVID. Health officials warn that this widespread health neglect could have large repercussions down the road.

That’s why we were pleased to see about a dozen community groups come together to help improve the health of area residents. On Saturday, the Dalton Whitfield NAACP hosts a health fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center, 218 N. Fredrick St. in Dalton.

“The national theme for the NAACP for this year’s Black History Month is Black health and wellness,” said Tom Pinson, director of the community center and an officer with the Dalton Whitfield NAACP. “We (the Dalton Whitfield NAACP) thought about doing a health fair last year, but because of COVID-19 we decided not to.”

Pinson said the Dalton Whitfield NAACP was planning events for February, which is Black History Month, when Rachel Ogle, community outreach manager at Hamilton Health Care System, reached out to him.

During the event, residents care get free screenings for many chronic diseases and learn more from healthcare professionals about how to manage those ailments. Hamilton Medical Center will offer free screenings including those for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and PSAs (prostate-specific antigen, a test for prostate cancer).

The CHI Memorial mammogram bus will be at the event providing mammograms. The bus takes health insurance, but it will also provide free mammograms to women without health insurance.

The DEO Clinic, which is in the community center, serves people in Whitfield and Murray counties who are uninsured and have limited financial resources. Heather Donahue, executive director of the DEO Clinic, said the group will have people on hand at the health fair.

Blood Assurance will have its blood donation bus at the community center during the fair.

Outside of their health, visitors to the event can register to vote. Nonpartisan elections and the Republican and Democratic primaries will be Tuesday, May 24. Qualifying for local races start Monday, March 7, at 9 a.m. in the Whitfield County Courthouse and end Friday, March 11, at noon.

We salute the many groups that are coming together to make the health fair a reality. We encourage everyone to attend.

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