The 45th annual Health Fair and Expo is set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, providing Twin Lakes area residents with free health screenings, lab test vouchers, and educational resources. The event, presented by Baxter Health and KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mountain Home Community Center gymnasium, located at 1 Community Center Drive. Admission is free, and no registration is required.
Attendees will have access to on-site vital sign checks, including blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, temperature, and breathing rate. Each visitor will also receive vouchers for four lab tests offered at the Baxter Health Outpatient Lab. These lab tests include screenings for blood sugar, cholesterol, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and HbA1c, which is used to monitor average blood sugar levels over three months and screen for diabetes.
In addition to health screenings, the event will feature educational exhibits and live demonstrations. Local health care providers and organizations will be available to share resources, answer questions, and provide guidance on maintaining wellness.
Tobias Pugsley, vice president of marketing and communications at Baxter Health, emphasized the event's significance for the region. “The Health Fair and Expo is one of the biggest things we do for our area each year,” Pugsley stated in prior remarks. Organizers highlighted that this year's use of the Mountain Home Community Center gymnasium aligns with the facility’s mission of supporting community fitness and recreation year-round.
“This is a place dedicated every single day to the health and wellness of our community, for every age and every stage of life,” Pugsley added. “Bringing the Health Fair and Expo here feels like a natural extension of everything both Baxter Health and this facility stand for.”
Held annually in October, the event is strategically scheduled to occur shortly before Medicare open enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Heather Loftis of KTLO noted that the enduring success of the fair stems from a shared commitment between Baxter Health and KTLO to the well-being of area residents. “For 45 years, KTLO and Baxter Health have come together around one simple idea: that the health of this community matters,” she said.
For additional information about the Health Fair and Expo, visit baxterhealth.org/healthfair.