Health Careers Academy and
Galt Youth Committee host health faire
Mobile Mammography unit in Galt on June 16
By Kymm Griffin
Staff Writer - Long after most of us have forgotten our new
year’s resolution to get healthy and look good this summer, the youth in
Galt have not given up on us. The Galt Health Careers Academy at Galt
High School teamed up with the Galt City Council Youth Committee to
bring more than 40 health and wellness vendors to the high school the
same day as Relay for Life.
“The purpose is to bring health awareness to Galt,” said Duane
Ausherman, Galt City Council Youth Committee Chairperson.
Sponsors of the event included Kaiser Permanente, Better Body Health
Club, El Rodeo Taqueria, Dry Creek Realty, and Parker & Del Grande
Realty World. T-shirts were made for the almost 40 student volunteers
that contained the sponsors’ names on the back. Most of the student
volunteers participate in the Health Careers Academy and the time went
toward community service hours.
Some of the booths included Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento/Yolo Mosquito
Abatement Services, Resource Pregnancy Center, Fitness Pro, St. Joseph’s
Medical Center and Yogurt Sundae. High school clubs were also out
hosting food fundraiser booths and children’s games. Fruit cups filled
with melon and pineapple spears were sold to encourage healthy eating,
and a few extra club donations before the end of the school year. But
when it came to food the great smell and full menu of El Rodeo Taqueria
drew a crowd. Entertainment was also provided by four high school bands.
“We hope to make this an annual event,” said Becky Cook, coordinator of
the Health Careers Academy. The program just received a grant for
$150,000 from Health Science Pathways Grant and has already set aside
$4,000 toward next year’s health faire.
Other plans for the grant include creating a skills lab on campus that
will be a mock hospital with mannequins for students to practice on,
according to Cook.
Plans are also being made for job shadowing opportunities with Kaiser
and Methodist Medical Centers next year. The Health Careers Academy is
open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in
pursuing a career in the health field.
One of the most amazing things to come out of this health faire is the
opportunity to possibly save a life. St. Joseph’s Medical Center of
Stockton had representatives on hand to talk to women about their Mobile
Mammography Unit coming to the Save Mart Shopping Center on June 16.
The Mobile Mammography Unit is a “state-of-the-art mammography clinic on
wheels, certified and accredited by the Food and Drug Administration and
the American College of Radiology and licensed by the California
Department of Health Services, ensuring the highest standards of care
and quality,” according to St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
They will be providing breast and cervical exams to women over 40 who
have medical insurance or not. Spanish speaking services are provided.
An appointment must be made by calling the Mobile Mammography Program at
1-866-430-8222. |
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