ROCKINGHAM – FirstHealth hosted its 35th annual Wellness Screening Day this past Saturday as citizens of Richmond County came to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital – Richmond to enjoy the offerings of one of the many events FirstHealth puts on for the community each year.
The event spanned over two floors and featured diagnostics including a wellness profile for each visitor, a screening for prostate specific antigen (PSA), a Vitamin D check, EKG, spirometry, urinalysis, and a blood test to examine glycosylated hemoglobin/AIC levels. Blood pressure checks, flu vaccines, and other services were provided at little or no cost to each visitor.
“We’ve been doing this for so many years where we do free or low-cost health screenings for the community,” said John Jackson, Regional President of FirstHealth’s Southern Region. “Over the years we average about 1,500 people who come here and take advantage of this opportunity to get a good idea of their overall health care so they can follow up with their physicians.”
Jackson went on to thank the significant number of volunteers and staff who took time on Saturday to be a part of this event. He specifically recognized Dr. Donald Covington and Dr. Al Covington of Carolina Eye Care in Rockingham, who he noted has volunteered to be a part of this event for nearly every year of the event’s thirty-five year history.
“I do want to thank the many folks that volunteered their time on their Saturday, and also the 8-10 days ahead of time where we have folks here at 6:00am [preparing for the event],” Jackson said. “They really give a lot to make sure we are taking care of the community.”
Amy Forester, Outreach Coordinator for FirstHealth Community Services and Community Health Educator, has been involved as a leader in planning and preparation of the Wellness Screening event for just over 10 years.
“I know we have people [in the community] who do not have health insurance, and people who have health insurance with really high deductibles,” Forester said. “Time is always a factor, too, for all types of people in our community, as their jobs often have them working during regular business hours and they can’t make it over for other services that are offered…and so I know how important it is to offer our Wellness Day.”
FirstHealth also utilized the event to register patients for MyChart, a system that provides online access for a patient to view their medical records, manage appointments, access test results, and communicate directly with a doctor.
To sign up for MyChart as a FirstHealth patient, visit FirstHealthMyChart.org.
