The annual Kids’ Day at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital, in Rockingham, will be Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Health screenings and other services will be available at low or no cost to children. Kids ages nine to 17 will also be eligible for blood draws.
“The full wellness profile draw is similar to tests done at an annual physical,” said Amy Hamilton-Forester, outreach coordinator for FirstHealth Richmond.
The full wellness profile yields results detailing cholesterol, glucose, red and white blood cell counts and more. The cost for the profile is $25.
The second blood draw available is the A1C .
“This gives a detailed rate of blood sugar over time,” said Forester. “It’s a good indicator of diabetes or pre-diabetes. With incidents of diabetes among the youth on the rise, doctors have asked that we include this test.”
The cost for the A1C draw is $10.
Clients can pick up their results the following week from medical records at the hospital, or their local physician can access the results for them.
“These are typically several hundred dollars worth of tests,” said Forester. “In some cases, the fee at Kids’ Day is even lower than insurance co-pay.”
In addition to the two blood draws, the event will offer various free screenings.
Physicians will be at the event to do BMI checks (body mass index), ENT checks (ear, nose and throat) and vision and hearing checks.
“The last couple of years we’ve had quite a few children with high BMI’s, and we’ve been able to share information with their parents about the dangers of excessive weight in children,” said Forester. “That’s probably the most common health issue we’ve been seeing, and it has the potential to be dangerous because of the increased risk for diabetes at a young age.”
The hospital has partnered with agencies to provide additional services, like free gun locks, car seat checks, fire and water safety information, $5 bike helmets and identification cards for children.
“Most parents don’t have fingerprints and identification information on hand, in the event that their child should go missing,” said Rockingham Police Chief Billy Kelly. “We will make the cards, with the consent of the parents, and then return them to the parents. It’s good information to have on hand.”
The hospital is located at 925 South Long Drive in Rockingham.
— Staff Writer Kelli Easterling can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at keasterling@heartlandpublications.com
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