BBGH and Panhandle Health District to host Health Fair Sat., March 30 from 8am to Noon

Box Butte General Hospital along with Panhandle Public Health District will host the 34th Annual Health Fair from 8am to noon on Saturday, March 30. During the health fair visitors will be able to have non-fasting labs drawn for $12.00. Lab work will test for Coronary Risk Profile. BBGH stresses the importance of this lab test; a Coronary Risk Profile allows the public to have a conversation with their practitioner about their health and potentially work on a wellness plan with them. Regional West Blood Bank will partner with BBGH to host a blood drive. All the blood donations received will stay in the Panhandle. No appointments are needed for lab work or the blood drive, leading to a potential for a longer wait time, but please remember: there is a widespread need for blood in the area after last week’s storm and saving a life is worth the wait. A single donation has the ability to save three lives, and every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. BBGH strongly encourages the community to attend the health fair to learn about services available in the area and donate blood.

Over 25 informational booths from a variety of organizations will be present at the health fair with a majority of the booths representing area non-profit organizations. Community outreach is a key function of the health fair. Organizers want to remind the community of existing services and to allow individuals to connect with services they may need.

A unique and informational feature that will also be in attendance at the health fair is a 25ft long, 8ft high inflatable colon. This inflatable organ (generously provided by the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Women’s and Men’s Health program) helps the public better understand the role the colon plays in their overall health. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon cancer) can be easily prevented; yet it remains the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women in the United States and will claim approximately 49,920 American lives this year. In Nebraska, 950 individuals will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year and 350 will die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, the nation’s leading voluntary health organization, many of those lives could be saved if people better understood the risks for the disease and got tested regularly. Colon cancer screening tests identify suspicious or pre-cancerous polyps, which can be removed before they develop into a serious health problem. 

Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.