News release from the University of Saint Francis:
USF North Campus hosting Focus on Health
(April 4, 2011) – The North Campus at the University of Saint Francis will serve as a Focus on Health site on Friday, April 15 from 7:30 a.m. to noon at 2702 Spring St. Focus on Health will take place city-wide from April 12-16 and 27-30 to provide free health screenings and reduced-fee medical tests in an effort to enhance wellness and expand community awareness of good health practices.
USF has provided a Focus on Health site for five years, and will offer more services from a broader range of staff and students than ever before, said Diane Martin, an instructor in the university’s Physical Therapist Assistant program and coordinator of USF’s Focus on Health. The effort is part of the university’s Wellness Committee initiatives, which have included initiating a smoke-free campus and hosting Focus on Health each year.
In addition to the free basic tests for blood pressure, body mass analysis, vision and colorectal cancer, USF will join the other sites in providing the new A1C hemoglobin test for diabetes, in addition to blood chemistry, thyroid, prostate and other blood tests for a nominal fee.
Other tests specific to USF will include an ankle brachial index test to measure blood flow to legs, a test for balance to screen for the likelihood of falling and mammograms by Francine’s Friends. Screenings for hearing, bone density, foot care and skin abnormalities will also be conducted.
USF’s School of Health Sciences (SOHS) students, along with students from other USF schools, will assist the many exhibitors to educate on wellness. “They get the experience serving, learn about their own health and the community receives the information to encourage general wellness,” Martin said. Students in the school’s Exercise Science Department will give demonstrations on Zumba and Yoga every half hour beginning at 9 a.m. Students from the Busse School of Business and Psychology Club are also assisting with Focus on Health.
IStan, one of the simulated patients from the SOHS Simulation Lab, will be displayed so viewers can observe the range of behaviors and vital signs the simulations exhibit as learning tools for USF health careers students.
Faculty members and nurse practitioners will provide health summary reviews and resource referrals after the screenings.
Various organizations will staff displays and provide educational materials as well. Exercise information will be provided by America on the Move, information on heart health and diabetes, senior health issues like medication side effects, blood pressure, exercise and the prevention of falls will be available, while Mental Health Awareness will edify on subjects such as Alzheimer’s Disease, brain injury, depression, anxiety and stress. The Drug and Alcohol Consortium will give information on the harmful effect of drugs and alcohol on the body.
Door prizes, such as certificates for local restaurants and other gifts, will be given away to community members as well as USF faculty, staff and students.
Focus on Health is open to Fort Wayne and Allen County residents age 18 and older. For more information on Focus on Health at USF, call 399-7700, ext. 8501 or e-mail eamaro@sf.edu.
The University of Saint Francis, founded in 1890 as a comprehensive university in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, offers more than 60 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs in five schools: The School of Health Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership, School of Professional Studies and School of Creative Arts. More than 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF for its academic excellence. The university has a regional campus in Crown Point, Ind.
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