Free community health fair to be held Saturday at The Center

Jun. 4—Good health is key to a good life. Sometimes it helps to have a little extra help staying healthy, however.

The Pulaski County Community Health, Wellness and Resource Fair will be held Saturday at The Center for Rural Development from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the third year for the event which brings together health professionals from all over the area to provide information, services and more for anyone interested.

"We've got tons of things going on with it," said Wynona Padgett, a key organizer involved with the two presenting groups, the Kentucky Cancer Program East and Somerset Junior Woman's Club. There are multiple other sponsors, including title sponsor Don Franklin Somerset Family of Dealerships, and including Dever Golf Cars-Somerset, Isaacs Insurance, Somerset Printing & Signs, and partnering organizations Faith Dental, Faith Healthcare, Lake Cumberland District Health Department, 5:16 Clinic, Lake Cumberland District Health Department, Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital; PFLAG Somerset, Somerset-Pulaski County EMS, Rockcastle Regional, and the Migrant Education Program.

Among the resources offered Saturday are:

Free medical check-ups and sports physicals; 5:16 Clinic (oral cancer screening & applications for dental & healthcare at the clinic); Adanta Sexual Assault Resource Center (resources); Aetna Community CARES Team (resources for insurance and services); Aetna Medicaid and Medicare (resources); Brightview Health (craving control cards, fidget items, and resources).

Others include: Faith Dental (dental check-ups and limited dental procedures); Faith Healthcare (medical check-ups and sports physicals); Gratitude Adjustment (coping skills for anxiety, depression and anger management); Recovery Together (resources for outpatient opioid use disorders & treatment providers); Hospice of Lake Cumberland (hospice & palliative care resources); Humana Insurance (resources); Intrust Healthcare Counseling Services (adult and adolescent depression screening); Isaacs Insurance (various insurance resources); JuicePlus+ Real Nutrition- Real Simple/Partner — Becky Cathers/Partner — Kim Wilcox (plant-based nutrition); KARE Mobile Dental Van (dental screening and appointment setting).

Kentucky CancerLink will have resources for free or low cost colon cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer screenings, and Kentucky Cancer Program-East will bring the MEGA Lungs, Incredible Colon, and Faces of Colon Cancer displays, as well as cancer prevention & screening resources).

The Kentucky Safe Aging Coalition will have resources on falling prevention and safety, while the Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency and Lake Cumberland District Health Department will be offering education and resources.

The Lake Cumberland Imaging Center will offer mammogram screening sign-ups and info about new 3-D mammography), while Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital's Acute Rehabilitation Unit will have info on resources for rehabilitation care and home program and the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Chest Pain Center will offer an automated blood pressure check and AHA cardiac risk scorecard.

Also present are:

Lifeline Healthcare (resources); Migrant Education Program (resources for students & families); Monticello Lions Club (vision screening); National Marrow Donor Program aka Be The Match (potential donor testing); Passport by Molina Healthcare (insurance & resources); PFLAG Somerset (LGBTQ+ resources); Planting Hope (overdose response kits, fentanyl & xylazine test strips, & education); Pulaski County Community Early Childhood Council (resources for children up to age 5 & their families); Pulaski County Cooperative Extension Service (body fat measurement); Rockcastle Regional Hospital Mobile Clinic (A1C screening); SKYHope Recovery Program for Women (facility resources & The Adanta Group resources); Somer City Roller Derby (resources & education); Somerset Junior Woman's Club (various resources for children & adults, child abuse prevention resources, & club information); Somerset Mental Health (stress ball making activity; resources); Somerset Police Department (Kid ID kits); Somerset-Pulaski County EMS (hands-on CPR education); Southern Kentucky AHEC (radon education resources & radon kits); United Way of the Bluegrass (211 and kynect resources); Wellcare-Medical Advantage Local Kentucky Agent (insurance resources); Wellsprings Wellness (psychiatry & psychology resources); Wolf Creek Counseling Services (depression screening & resources).

"There's something basically for all ages," said Padgett. "The Pulaski County Community Early Childhood Council will have things ... available for children up to age 5."

The Forcht Bank Ice Cream Machine Van will have ice cream sandwiches and sticks available to make the day more fun for kids — or kids at heart.

A variety of activities will be available throughout the day, including Zumba with Katie Sloan of the Somerset Junior Woman's Club and friends at 10:30 a.m., Store Time with Melanie King of the Somerset Junior Woman's Club at 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., a hands-on CPR demonstration at noon with Somerset-Pulaski County EMS and Ernie Acton, a skating demonstration with Somer City Roller Derby at 1:15 p.m. and a Safe Aging and Fall Prevention Discussion with Kentucky Safe Aging Coalition's Roy Tapp at 2 p.m.

Entrance to the event is free, and Padgett pointed out that the services available on-site are free. Insurance is not required to receive those services, and "there will be no discrimination based on anything," she noted. Minimal information will be requested.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. Some participants will be outside at the back of The Center, but you must register inside before going to them.

Follow up appointments, screenings, and procedures with providers will be the responsibility of the individual patients.

There will be Spanish translators on hand for those who need them.

"We really want to stress to anyone who is uninsured or underinsured to try to come," said Padgett. "We want people to come out. It's a Saturday. Regardless of the weather, it will be happening. We really want to reach those marginalized communities."