Author: Jamestown Post Journal
The mobile unit health fair took place outside, in the fellowship hall, and in the basement of Abbe Reformed Church.P-J photo by Sara HolthouseCLYMER — Chautauqua County health organizations were out in full force at the Rural Chautauqua County Mobile Unit Health Fair on Wednesday.Organizations included AHN, UPMC Chautauqua, Windsong, TCC Health, Highmark, Prevention Works, Fredonia State, University of Buffalo, State Wide, Parent Network, Univera, Healthy Community Alliance, the Chautauqua County Department of Health, Catholic Charities, WIC, Person Centered Services, CBA, Tobacco-Free CCA, Intandem, Goodskills, Feed More WNY, Prime Care Coordination, E2CCB Boces, Alzheimer’s Association, Molina HealthCare, The Resource Center and Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center.Clymer Central School’s Food Truck was also there serving attendees.The health fair took place at the Abbe Reformed Church, 595 Clymer Sherman Road, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.on Oct. 25.Representatives of TCC Health Jacky Reyes and Terry Moore said mobile unit health fairs are important for people in rural areas to attend.“People can learn a lot about what is going on in the community and with these programs,” Reyes said.Ken Dahlgren with Tobacco Free CCA was there educating people about flavored tobacco products.P-J photo by Sara HolthouseMoore added that these organizations are a “wealth of information”.“We are here specifically to make our services better known in the community,” Moore said.“This includes our mobile med unit, clinic, pharmacy and dental services.”The Chautauqua County Health Department, Department of Mental Hygiene and Combat Addiction CHQ were set up together.They were there to provide people help with things such as narcan training and mental health screenings. The three organizations handed out brochures with important help lines and county phone numbers to call, including the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988 and the Mental Health Association’s number (716)661-9044.“The health community can be hard to navigate and we are here to educate and help with whatever we can,” Bethany Ibhawa with the Health Department said.Dianne Courtney-Freeman of UPMC Chautauqua was in attendance to help educate people about mammograms.Multiple county health organizations and services were represented, offering education and information about what they provide.P-J photo by Sara Holthouse“I am here to educate people about why it is important to have a mammogram,” Courtney-Freeman said.“Knowledge is power and mammograms are a part of our three step program, which includes the monthly breast exam, the mammogram and the clinical exam.”Courtney-Freeman is in charge of mammograms for UPMC and is also the navigator, helping people in the process and guiding them through the next steps.Ken Dahlgren with Tobacco Free CCA was there to help educate people on flavored tobacco products and how companies have been using flavors to help attract certain audiences to smoking for a very long time.“The main reason we are here is to educate people about flavored tobacco products, specifically menthol,” Dahlgren said. “Flavors are a way to get people to start smoking and then the nicotine gets people to continue.The industry has targeted specific groups for years, including the black community, LGBTQ community and youth.”Dahlgren said the goal of Tobacco Free CCA is to see all tobacco companies remove flavors from their products.He added that health fairs like this are important for people to go to to learn about such things.The Rural Chautauqua County Mobile Unit Health Fair included mobile med vans parked outside in the Abbe Reformed Church Parking Lot, 545 Clymer-Sherman road.P-J photo by Sara Holthouse“There is a collection of services available in the county and the rural community is not always aware of them so people can come to these health fairs and see and know when something is happening in their life they can know where to go,” Dahlgren said.“Transportation is also a big issue in the rural areas, but not so much in the city.”Taija Bell with Intandem said she was there to help educate people on their services.“We help with children with developmental disabilities and we also provide parent help, specifically for behavioral issues,” Ball said.Prevention Works representative Jennifer Potter said that their main focus at these events is also to help educate.“Our main focus is on social and emotional education,” Potter said.“We offer a lot of different services, including parent education. People should come to health fairs to know what resources there are in the county.”Potter added that they have partnered with the event organizer, Judy Wroda, multiple times for different events.Wroda said she was very appreciative that all of the different health services, providers and technicians took the time to come out to the fair that day.“It’s overwhelming that they all came out to provide people in this rural area with information about their services,” Wroda said.“I’d also like to thank Congressman Langworthy and Senator Borello for sending their representatives to come out and see what we are trying to do to help rural areas.”NewsletterToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
