More than 1,000 people attended the 45th annual Baxter Health and KTLO Health Fair and Expo on Oct. 7 at the Mountain Home Community Center. The free event, held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the center’s gymnasium at 1 Community Center Drive, featured an array of health services, including free screenings, resources, and educational opportunities. No registration was required.
Baxter Health CEO Ron Peterson praised the efforts of more than 250 volunteers and staff members who, alongside 75 vendors, ensured the event ran smoothly. Peterson expressed his gratitude to the hospital employees, saying, “Thank you for showing our community what it means to care for our neighbors.” He also extended a special thank-you to KTLO for their long-standing partnership in organizing the event.
Visitors received vouchers for four free lab tests at the Baxter Health Outpatient Lab. The vouchers covered screenings for blood sugar, cholesterol, PSA, and HbA1c levels. Attendees could also have vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, temperature, and breathing rate checked on site.
Community organizations and local businesses collaborated to provide a wide range of resources. In addition to booths run by Baxter Health departments and clinics—such as the Bone and Joint Clinic, Reppell Diabetes Clinic, Hospice of the Ozarks, and the Women and Newborn Care Center—partners included the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, the Salvation Army, the Mountain Home Lions Club, and North Arkansas Electric Cooperative. Senior care, hearing, and insurance providers also participated.
The health fair has been a Mountain Home tradition for over four decades. In 2019, the 40th fair was held at the Baxter County Fairgrounds and featured extended hours as well as additional forums on men’s and women’s health. That year also marked the introduction of a Teddy Bear Clinic for children. Baxter Health had fewer than 100 beds during the fair’s early years, but today, the hospital operates 268 beds and employs more than 2,000 staff, making it the largest employer in Baxter County.
While the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 health fair to go virtual, the event resumed in person in 2023 and transitioned from spring to fall in 2024. Organizers chose the October timeframe to coincide with Medicare open enrollment, which occurs annually from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
Vice President of Marketing and Communications Tobias Pugsley noted the fair’s meaningful impact. “It’s one of the biggest things we do for our area each year,” Pugsley said. “It gives thousands of people a chance to find screenings, resources, and education in one place.”
KTLO’s Heather Loftis highlighted the longstanding partnership’s purpose, adding, “For 45 years, KTLO and Baxter Health have come together around one simple idea: that the health of this community matters.”
In addition to the Mountain Home event, Baxter Health hosts a similar annual health fair in Harrison. For more details, visit baxterhealth.org/healthfair.