On May 18, in front of Weems Memorial Hospital, a variety of Franklin County mind and body health services were showcased, with displays including goats, glucose monitors, ice cream and blood pressure testing.
The hospital foundation held its second annual Community Health Fair on the hospital grounds at 135 Avenue G in Apalachicola, with the theme, “Catching the Health Wave.”
Health and wellness partners from across the Forgotten Coast were on site, as well as representatives from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and local fire and police departments.
Robin Segley, a licensed practical nurse who teaches health science education at Franklin County High School, is responsible for “framing” the course curriculum. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Camilla Croom, a freshman from Franklin County, enjoys ice cream. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Brittany Miles had a booth with a wide selection of doTERRA health and beauty products. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Representing the county health department’s various programs were, from left, Healthy Families Supervisor Tammy Davis, Patricia Rickards of Healthy Start, Shannon Segree of Healthy Families, Stephanie Cash of Healthy Families and Healthy Start and James Reed of Team Dad, a new outreach effort for fathers in Franklin and Gulf counties. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Representing Edden Springs Nursing and Rehab were, from left, Angie Gardner, director of admissions, Ben Lovell, operations manager, Tabitha Lovell and unit manager Amanda Nichols. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Seating Meaghan Sapp, MPH, and Erik Rawls, PhD, both community health researchers at the FSU School of Medicine, offered valuable information on increasing local community engagement. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Emerald Larkin and April Lester, left, are both nurses with the Franklin County Health Department in Florida and are seen by patients for a variety of medical services. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
James Reed is with Team Dad, a new support group for fathers in Franklin and Gulf counties. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
The event featured health screenings, demonstrations and lots of information and giveaways for the whole family. Children had the opportunity to see and hold Nigerian Dwarf goats, courtesy of Jerry Alford, owner of Double JJ Ranch in Sumatra, which also has a flock of sheep and a variety of horses.
Kids could participate in obstacle races, get their faces painted, play games and win prizes, and there was live music by Tommy Cooper. There was also Blue Bell ice cream and two food trucks, Tamara’s On The Go and A Train Stop.
“We had a great turnout, despite the rain, with young families and community members well represented,” said Colleen Zester, acting president of the foundation. “The feedback we got was, ‘This is great, we love getting to know each other and more people in Franklin County,’ which is exactly what we hoped for from this event.”
