Family Health Fair invites public to chat with health care professionals

PALMER — The annual Health and Wellness Fair at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center saw about 500 people come through its doors Saturday. Held in the main lobby and stretching to the cafeteria, more than 40 vendors had educational booths with free hand-outs and gifts, services and education for visitors. The booths had a slew of health and wellness experts with massage therapy, cardiac care, women’s health, nutritionists, beauty and skin care, gynecology, radiology imagery and eye care. This event is regularly anticipated since it offers free services like blood work and flu shots.

Alan Craft, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, said there is usually a good turnout and people often call months ahead of time in anticipation. Craft said the health fair is designed to be a “community service.” This means providing free screenings to people who wouldn’t normally get checked due to a lack of insurance or finances. The other part is to connect people with doctors and services that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. One example would be the new Mat-Su Urgent Care that started up in May. Not many knew about the facility and due to its presence at the health fair, people discovered that and other entities that they normally wouldn’t know existed.

“This is a really good way for people to get a lot of free education,” Craft said.

The exposition-style environment is geared for visitors to casually chat from booth to booth and address some health and wellness goals without having to make an appointment or pay for a consultation.

Craft said most health care professionals have a drive to educate and a “service mindset,” so imparting knowledge with the public comes as second nature to them. He also noted that this was good chance for people who do not have a primary doctor to perhaps meet one or get pointed in the right direction.

Valerie Clark, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for Mat-Su Women’s Health, helped run their booth near the front entrance. She greeted visitors and talked to women about their concerns and goals for better health. She said the day went really well.

“When people meet someone in our practice and get that face to face interaction, they feel more welcome,” Clark said.

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center is the only hospital in Alaska that uses the MAKO Robotic Arm system to perform partial knee surgery and also partial hip surgery. The selling point for the robotic arm is that its scans and cuts are so accurate, patients are able to have the least amount of bone cut for the best range of mobility. The machine was on display during the event, showing images of scanned knees. Dr. Michael Montano from Pioneer Peak Orthopedics was one of the surgeons explaining the machine to people. Montano said that seeing their knee on screen before the surgery and the testimonies of the accuracy reassures people when deciding to get surgery.

Another surgeon from Pioneer Peak Orthopedics, Dr. Deryk Anderson, said he was the first to use the MAKO Robotic Arm system for partial knee surgery. Anderson said that by using the robot for more precise cuts, knee replacements feel more like a “normal knee.”

He said he was really impressed with Saturday’s turnout. He noted that people in this more laid-back atmosphere are able to walk right up to a doctor to get answers.

“They don’t have to pay money to see you. They can just come in and get their questions answered,” Anderson said.

He noticed all the “cool stuff” at the other booths and joked that Pioneer Peak needed to step it up on giveaways next year.

“It’s like trick-or-treating for adults,” Anderson said.

Denali Orthopedic Surgery is the oldest orthopedic surgery operation in the Valley. Dr. Mark Clyde said they have the only spine specialist in the valley. He also affirmed that that the health fair was an opportunity answer questions or direct people to the proper source “instantly.”

The next big event at Mat-Su Regional is the annual Breastival, titled “Hakuna Ma TaTas.” The Breastival is centered on breast cancer awareness, treatment and support for women in the Valley. It will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 with an assortment of services, education and activities. There will be special presentations, complimentary lunch, and mammograms on-site. Mammograms will require insurance or payment. Women without insurance, or who are low on funds, can call 1-800-416-6266 to see of they qualify for a free mammogram (most do qualify). For more information about the Breastival, contact Diana Arthur at Diana.Arthur@anchorageradiationtherapy.com.