VOLUNTEER MEDICAL student with lab work (Senate photo).
Health and kindness were on full display this Saturday at the 8th Annual Central County Health Expo held at Concorde College in Garden Grove. The six-hour event hosted by California State Senator Janet Nguyen, the Central County Foundation and Lestonnac Free Clinic, welcomed hundreds of residents who accessed medical and dental care at no cost. In addition to receiving on-site medical and dental care, residents also learned about health care related legislation being considered by the California State Legislature.
“Regular visits to a doctor and dentist are essential to maintaining good health but these critical visits can often take a back seat, especially as health care costs continue to rise,” said Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove). “For the past eight years we have worked hard to establish an annual event where residents can access health care services thereby avoiding costly emergency room visits, which are often times paid for by taxpayers.”
The 8th Annual Central County Health Expo welcomed hundreds of residents of all ages who received free dental work (fillings, extractions, and cleanings), medical services (physician evaluations, prescriptions, lab work, EKG tests and mammograms), as well as health screenings for peripheral artery disease, glucose, blood pressure and body mass index.
All of these services were offered at no cost to the public and were made possible through the generous donations of various organizations, agencies and businesses. Over 300 volunteers, including medical doctors, dentists, EMTs, dental and medical assistants, nurses, students and community members volunteered their time.
“The Central County Health Expo is a success because it is a community-wide effort rooted in the desire of countless volunteers and organizations to help others,” said Nguyen. “There are no words to express how grateful I am to know that the community will come together to lend a helping hand to those who need it most. This is an event for and by the community.”
As a token of her appreciation for the efforts of the organizations that made this event possible, Nguyen held a special presentation at the start of the event where she presented certificates of recognition to Ed Gerber, executive director of Lestonnac Free Clinic, Nick Ewell, president of Concorde College and Ross Myrashiro, vice president of student services at Coastline Community College.
Following in the tradition of hosting two annual Health Expos a year, Nguyen will be hosting the Central-West County Health Expo on October 28-29. This event will feature free dental, medical and vision care. Since its inception, the Central County Health Expo has helped over 10,000 residents and has provided over $100,000 worth of medical and dental care.
Categories: Garden Grove
