Free Health Screenings Slated in February
NORTH ADAMS – February is American Heart Month. This February, the Reach Community Health Foundation is urging area residents to do something more for their Valentines: take care of your heart and ensure you are around for your loved ones.The foundation and North Adams Regional Hospital are sponsoring free health checkups for men and women on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 to noon. Those who attend will receive a special Valentine's gift for himself or herself, or a loved one.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 80 million Americans live with cardiovascular disease. One in three Americans will develop high blood pressure in their lifetime. Without being screened, most of these individuals would not know it.
The free checkups are open to men and women age 18 and older who are uninsured or whose health insurance does not cover preventive health screenings. There is no proof of income or citizenship requirements for participants. Advance registration is required by calling the foundation at 413-664-5326.
All individuals will receive screenings for heart disease risk factors: cholesterol, blood pressure, height and weight and fasting blood sugar. Reach will also calculate each person's risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years and counsel him or her on ways to reduce risk.
Men between the ages of 18 and 65 will receive information on testicular cancer self-exams. Men over the age of 50 or those age 40 or older who are at high risk for prostate cancer can also receive a free prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and a digital rectal examination (DRE) to screen for prostate cancer. Men are at high risk for prostate cancer if they have a family history of prostate cancer or are black.
Women can receive a clinical breast examination and information about scheduling an annual mammogram.
Screenings occur on a bimonthly basis. The April screening will take place on April 5. Interested individuals can call 413-664-5326 for the dates of future screenings.
Reach Community Health Foundation and NARH are subsidiaries of Northern Berkshire Healthcare. Reach seeks to improve the health of the North Berkshire community through education, advocacy and treatment. Reach and NARH have collaborated for more than four years to provide free screenings for uninsured adults in North Berkshire County. The screening is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
