CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Seeking to keep the community connected and informed while also keeping safe and staying socially distanced, Dixie Regional Medical Center will hold their annual health fair online for the first time.
The virtual health fair is offered to the public at no cost. From Oct. 5-9, a battery of experts from Intermountain Healthcare will hold two daily presentations on health topics relevant to southwest Utah.
“A lot of the presentations can connect to many different people,” said Laura Bowles, marketing and communications specialist for Dixie Regional Medical Center. “Every presentation is just really valuable to anyone who wants to learn more about their health.”
Dixie Regional Medical Center has hosted the LiVe Well Health Fair for more than a decade. In past years, flu shots were offered along with various testing and screening opportunities, including body composition assessments.
“Since we can’t do that this year, we still wanted to provide the health education that usually comes with the health fair,” Bowles said.
The lineup of 10 presentations, each led by a different expert, features topics ranging from COVID-19 to suicide prevention. Recent developments with HerediGene, Intermountain Healthcare’s large-scale population study focused on discovering new connections between genetics and disease, will also be highlighted.
“We have so many different kinds of topics that any age group or person, no matter their health condition, can see at least one of these presentations and have it apply to them,” Bowles said.
She cited the “COVID-19 in Washington County” as an example of a presentation that applies to everyone in the community, while ‘Children and COVID-19’ offers information that “every parent should know.”
Presentations will go live at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. throughout the week. During each session, viewers have the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer chat with the expert.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday, Oct. 5
- 10 a.m. – “COVID-19 in Washington County” with Dr. Patrick Carroll, medical director at Dixie Regional Medical Center.
- 1 p.m. – “Children and COVID-19” with pediatric hospitalist Dr. Kerri Smith.
Tuesday, Oct. 6
- 10 a.m. – “Suicide Prevention” with community health specialist Jordan Merrill.
- 1 p.m. – “Breastfeeding Essentials for Learning Mothers” with lactation consultant Sunie Thomas.
Wednesday, Oct. 7
- 10 a.m. – “Overcoming Fitness Barriers” with Tiffany Gust, exercise physiologist and certified health and wellness coach.
- 1 p.m. – “Stroke Prevention and Rehabilitation” with Dr. Bryndon Hatch, medical director of neuro specialty rehabilitation and “Back Pain and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery” with Dr. Jotham Manwaring, medical director of neurological surgery.
Thursday, Oct. 8
- 10 a.m. – “Mammography and Breast Health” with Dr. Brett Parkinson, medical director of the Intermountain Breast Clinical Program.
- 1 p.m. – “Left Atrial Appendage Closure Procedure” with Dr. Blake Gardner, director of the structural heart program and “Transcarotid Artery Revascularization Procedure” with cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Arne Olsen.
Friday, Oct. 9
- 10 a.m. – “Reactivating HerediGene” with Bryce Moulton, clinical research director for Intermountain Precision Genomics.
- 1 p.m. – “Performance Running Program and Improving Stamina, Strength and Mobility” with certified exercise physiologist Dayna Robinson and physical therapist Teena Aguirre-Jensen.
Organizers of the virtual health fair have worked to create a format that encourages audience engagement to make the experience as interactive as possible despite being online, Bowles said. The platform is compatible with both desktop and mobile browsers.
To join a presentation, simply access the website a few minutes before the scheduled starting time and wait for the livestream to begin. For anyone unable to watch a presentation live, all of the video recordings will be available to view using the same link after they conclude.
“The health fair is a really great opportunity for the community to learn more about their health,” Bowles said.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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