Public Health Institute brings health to local communities through mobile programs
Published on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at 6:13 p.m.
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Mower County nurse Darl Ehmke, left, takes Marie Baicker’s blood pressure at the Grand Meadow Library on Tuesday. Rocky Harun/sports@austindailyherald.com
Cathy Paul, left, has her blood drawn for an A1C cholesterol test by Megan Moe, clinical research coordinator at Hormel Research Institute. Rocky Harun/sports@austindailyherald.com
Juan Rodriguez and Jo Ellen Dears of SAFE (Support Available For Everyone) are manning the booth. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
A joint effort between Hormel Laboratories and Mower County Public Health aims to bring health to people through a health campaign called Wellness on Wheels (WOW).
As announced last week, WOW will share health information and resources as well as provide free health screenings and kits to those who take part in the visit.
The free event is open to the public and will have its first location in Grand Meadow on Tuesday afternoon, with a second stop scheduled for July 23 in Adams.
“This is something we’ve been talking about for a long time,” said Chris Weiss, a community health specialist supported by a State Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant from the Minnesota Department of Health, “We’ve just been trying to get the right people together. It’s been something that’s been going on since I’ve been here at the county, making this happen and making sure people who are out and about have access.”
According to Weiss, a program like WOW has been in discussion since 2017. A few years ago, they found the right partner in the institute. As part of their strategic plan, the educational component of WOW aligns with the institute’s goals through the myriad screenings and information it offers.
“I think education will include learning about these preventative tests and the need for them,” said Kelly Vincelle, the institute’s community outreach and education manager. “We want to establish a health and survival program.”
Through similar past incidents, parties on both sides have begun discussing ways they can work together.
“Everybody’s just banding together,” Vincelet said. “Let’s see what we can do.”
WOW is supported in part by two grants from the Austin Area Foundation and Mower Freeborn Cooperative, and by taking these steps on the road, both believe they can meet the convenience needs of people who have a harder time receiving these services.
“This is really a public health approach,” Weiss said, noting that for many people, such services aren’t nearby or simply inaccessible. “We’d rather go where people are and provide these services.”
This fits into the preventative care approach that both Mower County Public Health and the lab have taken in recent years.
The Laboratory has purchased testing equipment for use at each testing location, including:
• A1C (blood sugar level)
• Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Anemia
Information will also be available in the following areas:
• Mental Health Resources
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Emergency disaster response
• Water/Air Quality
• Extreme temperatures
• Lyme disease
Healthy Eating Resources
• HIV testing kits and prevention information
• Radon test kits.
But while these resources will be available, Vincelette and Emily Heath, head of clinical research and outreach, pointed out that the screening information is only provided for use in conjunction with a doctor’s appointment.
Although CLIA has waived the WOW, allowing tests to be performed outside of medical facilities, diagnoses cannot be made through the WOW and no information is collected for laboratory research.
This information is intended for use in consultation with your physician.
“This is blood pressure. We take a patient’s blood pressure and we put it on a sheet,” Heath said. “This is raw information, and patients should know what to do with it.”
At the same time, Heath said he hopes to see future expansion of services that leverage the background information gathered through the lab’s research.
“We hope to do more of these tests in the future,” Heath said, “and we’d like to do more of them. We’re starting with what people want to know and simple ways for people to get involved and learn about what we do. We want to do more of the actual cancer testing.”
Tuesday was just the first step for WOW, but both hope to continue it into the future with hopes of expanding, including inviting even more people to support WOW.
“Right now we’re providing resources for other places,” Weiss said. “We want to bring in more partners. The more the better. The more partners we bring in, the more we can evaluate.”
