Free Health and Wellness Expo offers services, info

Busy lives often make it hard to schedule health screenings we know we need. Plus, the cost associated with some screenings can be another reason for us to put them off even more. If this sounds familiar, or if you need help with determining your eligibility for state benefits, consider attending the free Health & Wellness Fair, Friday, October 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Spokane Calvary Chapel on Spokane’s north side. The fair and services are available to everyone, regardless of income, so this one-stop health check-up from head and toe will enable you to check at least a few things off your list. Presented by Community Minded Enterprises Healthy Teens Project, and in partnership with Spokane Calvary Chapel and Molina Healthcare, the expo is a great opportunity for local families to become pro-active in their healthcare by getting preventative screenings, educating themselves and having the opportunity to get their healthcare questions answered. “This is for our community, the people we work and play with,” said Bethany Phenix-Osgood, coordinator of the Expo and manager of the Healthy Teens Project and Health for All program at Community Minded Enterprises. In addition to the health info, visitors can also go home with door prizes, lots of giveaways and free lunch and dinner, courtesy of Christ Kitchen and Atilanos Mexican Food. “Our hope is to educate, empower and have people walk away with a resource that they can either use now or in the future,” Phenix-Osgood said. Screenings will include flu vaccinations from Walgreens and United Healthcare, balance and glucose level tests from Spokane Falls Community College nursing students, vision, hearing and speech testing, as well as dental screenings from Eastern Washington University professors and graduate students, and body mass index screenings from Gonzaga nursing students. Renew Chiropractic will also be providing balance and stress tests as well as five-minute massages. One exception to the free screenings will be the mammograms, performed by Assured Imaging from Seattle and sponsored by Molina Healthcare. Payment options include private insurance, paying $165 for the service, or coverage through the Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program (BCCHP). To find out if you qualify for the BCCHP, Molina Healthcare recommends that you call (888) 233-6121 in advance of the Expo. Workshops throughout the day, to name just a few, will focus on Medicare open enrollment, as presented by SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors), information on Social Security income and Social Security disability income from the State’s Plan to Work program, and learning to recover from crisis and live a life of self-sufficiency from SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs) educators. Also on hand will be the DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services) Mobile, which will be handing out instant benefits, such as cash and food, to those who are eligible. Originally scheduled to follow the Expo was a youth fair featuring a free concert by local band Incandescent, fun activities, and healthcare workshops covering youth-specific topics. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the youth fair is tentatively rescheduled for a later date. “We hope to offer this portion of our health and wellness outreach in November at a downtown venue,” said Phenix-Osgood. Spokane Calvary Chapel is located at 511 W. Hastings Rd., Spokane WA 99218. Other sponsors for the Expo include United Healthcare, Coordinated Care and Amerigroup. The Healthy Teens Project is a youth based healthcare program of Community-Minded Enterprises. The organization works to enroll uninsured and underinsured youth into the Apple Health for Kids Program to provide education and access to various healthcare benefits.