Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Health-A-Rama has arrived; free screening available

This Saturday will be a time for people of Prescott and Nevada County to get free health information.

This is because the 9th Annual Health-A-Rama will be held. This year the Health-A-Rama has been moved from the gym at First Baptist Church to the Potlatch Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, where three buildings will be filled with information and health screenings for those who visit. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

A new participant has joined this year. PAP of Hope (Patient Assistance Program) is a local service company offering administrative support for those who qualify for free prescription medications. Clients must meet eligibility requirements, though, along with applying and paying the applicable fees. Shannon Callicott is the patient advocate.

In addition, the fire safety house will be on hand to show how to escape from a burning building.

But, there are also a lot of returning participants, including the Nevada County Picayune, collecting for its fourth annual toy drive. Last year more than 400 children received toys from the drive, bringing the three-year total to more than 800 children getting gifts.

Dr. Jim Mark Ingram, with the Little Rock Allergy and Asthma Clinic, will be there to provide asthma education for those interested.

The Prescott Lions Club will have its concession stand at the fairgrounds to provide something for the visitors to eat and drink. In addition, the Lions will be collecting old glasses to be recycled and given to the needy.

There will also be blood sugar screenings, cholesterol screenings and blood pressure checks. Additionally, there will be Prostate Specific Antigen (PSALMS) blood testing for prostate cancer, and cataract screenings. Those coming for the cholesterol and blood sugar screenings need to come without eating or drinking anything before the testing is done.

An important, though potentially embarrassing test, the Body Mass Index, will be back. This test lets people know what percentage of their overall body weight is fat.

Representatives from the Arkansas Poison Control Center, Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA), Domestic Violence Prevention and Sexual Abuse Services, the Nevada County Cancer Association, Finally Free of Tobacco, the Our Children First Coalition, the McRae Middle School Art Club, University of Arkansas Medical Services nursing students and the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope Respiratory Therapy students will be on hand as well.

The Health-A-Rama is not about just getting health screenings, though patrons can get more than $300 in free medical help. There will also be fun and games for all, along with door prizes being given out periodically. Bingo, face painting and balloon art have been scheduled.

Parents can help ease their minds by getting their children fingerprinted and have identification made for them through the Morgan Nick Program. Firestone is working with the Prescott Police Department on this.

Firestone recently donated $720 to the Prescott-Nevada County Health Alliance to help offset the cost of the Health-A-Rama. The Nevada County Cancer Association kicked in $500 also, while Hollys Health Mart and Congressman Mike Ross donated the cholesterol strips, a donation worth about $1,000.