Valley Stream Franklin Hospital holds annual community health fair

It was a new location and new time of year for Franklin Hospital’s annual community health fair.

Usually held in the fall under a big tent, the fair moved to Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School. Last Saturday’s event featured about two dozen informational booths along with free medical screenings.

“This is a great representation of all the services of the hospital,” said Joe Manopella, Franklin’s executive director.

Residents could get their blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol checked, take part in the hearing and glaucoma screenings, and get a free foot exam. Manopella said many people are afraid to go to the doctor, so the health fair offers a chance for people to find out about any potential health problems.

Rina Vega brought her parents for the free medical screenings, and her children for the child identification kits, courtesy of the Nassau County Police Department.

“You’re getting the full gamut,” Manopella said, “children through senior citizens.”

Dr. Allison Potar and Julio Viola, of the pharmacy department, put together a display on the many medications which look like candy. Potar, the clinical coordinator, talked about how many prescription drugs look like Skittles, M&Ms and Candy Corn.

“I think a picture is worth a thousand words,” she said about her display board, which showed the medication and the look-alike candy side-by-side. “Parents see this and it really hits home. It always gets a lot of attention.”

Potar noted that accidental poisonings is the third largest cause of death for children under 10 years old. Seventy percent of those children, she said, are 6 or younger.

Nurse Dawn Coffin demonstrated how an automatic external defibrillator works. AEDs are common now in schools, airports, hotels and most other public places. She said that machines give instructions so someone with no training can use it if another person has a medical emergency.

There were also several seminars including about strokes, diabetes and orthopedic surgery, a workshop on healthy cooking and visits from other health agencies including a dentist, the Peninsula Counseling Center and the Center for Tobacco Control.

Dr. Kathleen Walsh, principal of Memorial Junior High School, said she was pleased when asked by the hospital if the health fair could be held there. “One of our school’s goals is to make connections, especially with the community,” she said.

Several teens from the Student Council and Students Against Destruction Decisions volunteers their time to assist visitors.

Manopella said he hopes this is the first of many health fairs at Memorial. “Your community hospital should partner up with school districts,” he said, “to improve the health of the community.”