TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — All University of Alabama employees and retirees should mark their calendars for the fifth annual UA Employee Health Fair, Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Coleman Coliseum Concourse.
Seven free health-screening services will be offered at the health fair. A flu shot and a blood sugar check will be given by Capstone Medical Center to the first 1,000 people. A test to determine blood cholesterol amounts will be administered by the Baptist Health System of Birmingham to at least 1,000 people.
Other tests will be done on a first come, first serve basis. They include a blood pressure check by various nurses from various health care agencies; a body fat test by the UA Department of Human Nutrition; a hearing test given by the University Speech and Hearing Center; and an eye-screening test given by Tuscaloosa Ophthalmology and LensCrafters.
“The key to the health fair is preventive medicine and care. What you do not know about your health can hurt you. So, come and be checked out at the Employee Health Fair. The tests are free and the time spent is an investment in yourself,” said John Kasberg, risk management analyst in UA’s department of human resources, and an organizer of the event.
After an ACTion card is checked at the door, attendees will be given a neon green slip of paper listing the fair’s seven tests. Each time a test is completed, the slip will be hole-punched. At the end of the fair, the slip will be placed in the “door prize” roll barrel. Slips will be drawn for several donated door prizes.
The grand prize is a free, two-night stay at the UA condo in Bay Point. Five of the seven tests must be completed to qualify for the grand prize. The second place winner will receive $50, if three out of seven tests must have been completed. Other door prizes include T-shirts and a one-year membership to the UA Recreation Center.
During screenings at last year’s health fair, several UA employees found medical problems that needed immediate treatment. Kay White from UA’s Computer Center found out she had hypertension, or high blood pressure. Bill Columbus in the Office of Risk Management discovered he had high blood sugar.
Alan Goode, a recent UA retiree, comes to the fair every year specifically to get a flu shot. “If I didn’t get my flu shot, I’d always get the flu,” Goode said.
More than 90 vendors will be represented at the Employee Health Fair, including DCH Medical Center, HealthSouth, the American Red Cross, Alabama Organ Center, the UA Recreation Center and Tuscaloosa Therapy. Arby’s, Buffalo Rock Bottling Co., and Pizza Hut will provide free samples.
Contact
Amelia Parker or Linda Hill, Office of Media Relations, 205/348-8325
Source
John Kasberg, UA Office of Risk Management, 205/348-8874