370 people take part in Rangely Health fair

RANGELY I Approximately 370 people attended blood pre-draws March 21-22 and the Rangely Community Health Fair on Saturday morning to have blood drawn for various screening tests, numbers that suggest attendance is holding steady in the health fair’s third year independent of the Channel 9Health Fair.
Rangely District Hospital lab manager and event coordinator Kyle Wren said that last year almost 400 people ordered blood screening tests, which give patients information ranging from cholesterol numbers to blood cell counts and diabetes alerts.
Wren said the blood draws, which begin at $30 at the health fair but can cost up to $1,000 if done independently of the event, are critical indicators of how healthy somebody really is.
“It’s important because typically (high or low values) will be seen for an individual who thinks they’re healthy, but the lab reports aren’t showing that,” he said.
In addition to blood draws, this year’s fair hosted several familiar booths and a couple of new ones, among them the Western Rio Blanco Metropolitan Park and Recreation District and Vial of Life, a non-profit group that helps seniors make medical information accessible in their homes.
Wren said many more participants than last year opted to tour Classic Lifeguard Air Medical Transport helicopter from Vernal, Utah, and the fair’s second year in the new Rangely District Hospital building saw booths change location to better accommodate for dental hygiene and hearing screenings.
“We appreciate all the community support and volunteers who made this happen,” Wren said. “Without them, the fair wouldn’t be successful like it is every year.”
Rangely District Hospital staff also administered a number of exit surveys to participants this year.
Although RDH human resources director Cindy Stults said the approximately 25 responses were positive, coordinators plan to expand the survey process to generate more feedback about how to improve the health fair next year.