More than 50 medical students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine volunteered to host the 8th annual Health Fair at Chandler Park Academy High School in Harper Woods.
The students, along with several OUWB faculty and staff members, provided basic screenings (vision, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure), flu shots, and other activities and educational opportunities related to health care.
The event is held annually on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“This is part of the DNA of what we’re all about at OUWB,” said Duane Mezwa, M.D., OUWB Stephan Sharf Interim Dean. “This starts our students out early to becoming the caring, compassionate physicians of the future.”
Caryn Reed-Hendon, director of Diversity & Inclusion, OUWB, said the student-led, student-run health fair essentially serves two primary purposes for the community.
The first, she said, is that “every child can see that becoming a physician is possible.”
“And every family can see that it’s possible to get services to come to them.”
Kelvin Wise, district STEM coordinator, Chandler Park Academy, said the program is important.
“We try to work early with our students…and helping them to make better choices in relation to their health management,” he said.
Students, their respective families, and community members were among those to stop by the health fair, which also included a kids’ craft table, yoga session, and even dancing led by OUWB students.
“I was watching the news this morning and found out about the fair so I wanted to come out and give it a try,” said Rachel Petty, a Detroit resident, who added it’s about “taking care of me.”
Latasha Pippen, a Detroit resident, said the health fair is “an awesome, great event.”
“I love it here,” she said. “It’s a great turnout…it’s good to get the community out and get the kids to understand about their health.”
The Chandler Park Academy Health Fair continues to grow in size, as evidenced by a number of new vendors who signed on to participate, said Reed-Hendon
Among the new vendors was Victoria Cohen, D.O., a family medicine physician with Ascension Medical Group. She called the event “excellent.” (Other new vendors this year included Covenant Care, Michigan Health Council, American Indian Health & Family Services of Southeastern Michigan, CNS Healthcare, and Detroit-Wayne Mental Health Authority.)
“It’s important for people to be aware of screening options…to be screened on the spot…and also to establish primary care with a primary care doctor like myself,” she said.
Reed-Hendon said there are several reasons why the health fair has had success.
“Chandler Park Academy and their staff and board of directors have been very supportive of us doing this work because it’s all about the kids,” she said.
Nelia Afonso, M.D., assistant dean for Community Integration & Outreach, OUWB, said the nice thing about the relationship with Chandler Park Academy is that it keeps getting stronger.
For example, OUWB medical students and faculty have done presentations on the importance of the flu vaccine along with other types of training.
“The school has been very welcoming for our students,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to be engaged with the community, and for our students to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it.
But overall, M2 Dina Abdo, a community committee chair with Student National Medical Association (co-sponsor of the event with Diversity & Inclusion), said she hopes health fair attendees from the community feel better prepared when it comes to dealing with medical-related issues.
“I hope that (have) a little more information (that helps) to better advocate for their health and how to take initiative on their health and leave with some sort of knowledge on how to take steps forward,” she said.
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, marketing writer, OUWB, at [email protected].
