“Body and Beyond” Health Fair Serves Community

More than 20 student organizations at NEOMED banded together to present a health fair for community members March 24 at the NEOMED Education and Wellness (NEW) Center. With multiple students working at each booth, the volunteers were well equipped to help the people who attended—more than 60 in all.

Most of the people who attended were over the age of 50–many of them from the immediate Ravenna and Rootstown area. Nikhil Nadler, a second-year College of Medicine student, said the effort felt important, because so many of the people had come for screenings of preventable diseases and to obtain information about living a healthy lifestyle. At the various booths, services including screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, BMI, glaucoma, HIV and hepatitis C were provided. Sequoia Wellness, based in the NEW Center, offered classes and demonstrations that included tai chi, yoga and Zumba.

“Working at this event made it was clear to me that there are health disparities right in our own community that need to be addressed,’’ said Nadler. “It felt good to help.’’