All are invited to a community health and wellbeing fair for the entire family presented by USC Verdugo Hills Hospital on Oct. 3  from 9 a.m. to noon. 

By Mary O’KEEFE

“We are proud to have hosted this health fair for more than a decade, bringing valuable health resources and services to our community,” said Marie Filipian, director of Community Benefits for USC-VHH/Keck Medicine of University of Southern California (USC).

The event, Your Wellbeing. Your Community., is a community health and wellbeing fair for the entire family. There will be various booths on-site providing a lot of information regarding numerous health concerns. 

“USC-VHH and Keck Medicine of USC physicians and clinical staff will be at the event to provide information and resources,” Filipian said.

Community members can visit booths where professionals will offer guidance on how to access screenings for anxiety, glaucoma and blood pressure, as well as fitness assessment, hands-on CPR training, healthy eating activities, intra-oral screenings for adults, kids’ activities, Narcan training and stroke education. There will also be free flu vaccines given to those who want them and the chance to meet local physicians. 

Because physical health and mental health go hand-in-hand there will be representatives to help in those areas as well. 

“We will have staff from our Gero Psych Unit as well as representatives from Silverado Mental Health available to provide information and resources related to mental health and wellbeing,” Filipian added.

Glendale fire and police representatives will be at the event as well as GPD’s dog Brisket.

Health fairs like this one on Oct. 3 do have positive benefits for the community, according to Impact Global Health Alliance. 

According to National Institutes of Health, community health fairs support those who may not be able to visit medical facilities on a regular basis and for those who do not have insurance. 

But the most important aspect of this type of health fair allows people to be proactive with their own health care. Many can find out what resources are available to them. 

One of the booths will be from CV Cares/iMPACT LA, which will have a list of resources for those with concerns about drug misuse and will provide resources that support mental health. 

There will be a number of local non-profit representatives, like CV Cares, at the event. 

Filipian added she would like the community to know this event is for everyone. 

“There will be health screenings, flu vaccines, community resources, kids’ activities and opportunities to meet local physicians and health care professionals,” she said. “We want our community to attend, have fun and take advantage of the resources available to help them and their families stay healthy.”

The event is in collaboration with Glendale Fire Dept., Glendale Police Dept. and the YMCA.