Case for Community Day Health to be hosted on campus this year

Mark Patteson, Contributing Reporter

The Case for Community Day health fair will be hosted on the Case Western Reserve University campus for the first time this year from noon to 5 p.m. at Veale Center. Roughly 50 volunteers from the university will participate, providing flu shots, screenings and information to patients.\

Last year, more than 100 people attended the fair, with many more expected this year because of an extra promotional push. No registration is required to receive aid though the fair is intended for the uninsured and those with restricted access to healthcare.

The fair will include a large number of confidential blood pressure and cholesterol readings, oral health check-ups, BMI measurements and glucose and HIV/AIDS screenings and services, which can be difficult for many around the university to obtain.

The event’s organizers have placed emphasis on interacting with the surrounding community, which is one of the reasons that it was moved onto campus. Beyond the obvious logistical benefits, Latisha James, senior director of Local Government and Community Relations, said that the move gives “the community a chance to visit campus” and connect more deeply with the university.

A primary goal of the fair is to help patients secure future healthcare by offering follow-up appointments with physicians, providing them information about local clinics and introducing them with the various health agencies that will participate. The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences will also assist in registering people for Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

The health fair is a collaborative effort, with nursing, medical and dental students participating alongside volunteers from local hospitals and health agencies. University Hospital will provide thousands in medical supplies and Cleveland Clinic will offer colonoscopies and mammograms at its Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Clinic in East Cleveland. MedWorks, a national nonprofit that provides free healthcare to the uninsured or underserved, will also contribute nurses, staff and information to assist with the fair.

Though Cleveland hosts hospitals that serve patients from around the world, many in the Greater Cleveland area struggle to access it or afford the city’s healthcare system. The Case for Community Day health fair will help the underserved connect to the city’s health services.