Health Fair at LaPlaine Clinic - January 25, 2013

Today our group held the health fair at LaPlaine Clinic. This clinic is the largest of the ones we have visited and therefore has an area where we were able to set up tables and chairs for the health fair. Everyone had a particular disease state that they were in charge of. These included cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, respiratory disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders to name a few. We prepared resources that the attendees could take home, such as brochures and handouts. Some students also prepared interactive displays such as a cardiovascular darts game, diabetes word search, and straws of varying diameters that attendees could blow out of to simulate respiratory disorders.

We had a steady stream of attendees arrive throughout the morning and all the students were very enthusiastic in talking to them about the various disease states. In particular, I noticed that a lot of attendees were very interested in having some guidance on what they should be eating to maintain a healthy diet. They wanted to know whether aspects of their Dominican diet were in line with controlling their disease states. This is where the nutrition booth came in very handy, as one of the students had prepared some resources on nutrition and how to portion your meals. In particular, I spoke to a man who was concerned that the American diet was being assimilated into the Dominican culture and was making them unhealthy. He also asked me about diabetes and how to control it better. I empathized with him and praised him for being so proactive in maintaining his health. I suggested some food options for him and also referred him to the nutrition table for more information. He seemed to be quite content and interacted with many of my fellow students afterwards.

In the afternoon we mainly had groups of elementary school children come in. We shifted our focus more on ensuring they had a good time. Instead of speaking about our various disease states, we instead prepared some coloring stations for them. We focused on the theme of “healthy food” and had them draw their favorite foods into the “plate” we had drawn for them. The children absolutely loved this activity and we had just as much fun assisting them. They also really loved the oral care station where they were able to put a pink stain on their teeth and then brush their teeth afterwards to demonstrate the amount of time it takes to properly brush your teeth.

Overall the health fair was a great success and everyone felt a sense of accomplishment. I in particular was very humbled by everyone I met, and am in awe of how some of them could endure so much but have no complaints. They are just happy to be there talking to you and learning more about their disease states. The health fair was a rewarding experience and one that I will not soon forget.

-Joanne