Norton Healthcare has been providing free medical services at its annual health fair for Latino and Hispanic residents for several years. This year, the fair will take place on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Saint Rita Catholic Church. The fair offers various services to those without insurance, including funding assistance and interpreters.
The goal of the health fair is to make healthcare more accessible to immigrants and provide an entry point to services that individuals may not be aware of if they lack insurance coverage. Megan Russell, a nurse practitioner with Norton Prevention and Wellness, believes that the health fair is an opportunity to help immigrants receive timely medical assistance despite challenges like lack of insurance, medical racism, and language barriers.
Data from the nonprofit health policy research center KFF revealed that Hispanic adults are more likely than white adults to not seek medical care in the past year due to cost barriers. Dr. Patricia Bautista-Cervera, the health empowerment team coordinator at La Casita Center, notes that many Hispanic and Latino immigrants and refugees in underserved communities work blue-collar jobs, where the risk of injury can significantly impact their lives. Without health insurance, sickness can pose a challenge to supporting their families, exacerbating existing barriers like transportation, language, and lack of education.
The Norton Healthcare’s health fair will offer various services such as screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, colon cancer, hearing, vision along with family activities like car seat installation checks and giveaways like food pantry items such as diapers and other resources available to attendees during this event.
In summary, Norton Healthcare’s annual health fair aims to make healthcare more accessible for Latino and Hispanic residents by providing free medical services such as screenings for various conditions along with other resources that may not be available otherwise due to challenges like lack of insurance or language barriers.
