Health screenings at Walgreens till 7 pm
By Deanie Schwarz
For White Center Now
Today till 7 pm, an AARP/ Wellness Tour (American Association of Retired Persons) mobile health-screening van is on site at the Roxbury Walgreens. Tests include a full panel for blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, bone density and waist circumference, a $140 value.
Those tested who are over 50 years old will be given a free membership to the AARP (a $12-$16 value) with discounts offered for a variety of services and products. The only requirement to be tested is that individuals are 18 years or older. The panel of tests takes only 15 minutes. If medical issues are urgent, referrals to emergency facilities will be made. If non-emergency health issues are found, additional referrals will be made to private providers or the Walgreens pharmacy staff for affordable alternative and complimentary plans which might include non-prescription vitamins and other supplements, as well as exercise and nutrition advice.
The tests include:
BMI
Waist circumference
Bone Density –
Blood glucose via a simple finger prick
Ultrasound for bone density
Blood pressure
Amanda St Pierre is the lead Certified Health Screener for this van, which will be leaving Washington after a month of testing and heading for Oregon sites tonight. Overall, the AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour has 10 vans in as many regions in the United States, as well as Puerto Rico.
The Tour hopes to screen 2.6 million people throughout these regions. Each van has a mission to screen 130 people per day. As of 2:45 Monday afternoon, about 25 people had been screened. It was noted that the screeners were unaware of any advance outreach to the community other than Univision. One if the primary target populations are Spanish-speaking communities and homeless individuals. The continued funding by Walgrens is uncertain and the program will be evaluated for effectiveness as the regions are covered over time.
Tags: AARP, health screening, Walgreens
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