Living Well April 30, 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

By Teresa Griswold

Health fair offers freebies and fun
Jackson Hole, Wyo.-The annual Teton County Health Fair is a place to gather information and get free health and safety screenings while enjoying a fun time with your family. Though the number one reason people attend the fair is to receive a free interpretation of their blood analysis as part of the annual health fair blood draw, there are many more free screenings at the fair, as well as a day full of presentations and more than 70 booths offering activities and information.

According to St. John’s Medical Center’s community wellness coordinator, Catherine Holland, R.D., there are no excuses for not being safe and healthy with so much offered at this year’s fair.

There are new activities for kids including a Wii game, a “Fit Kids” presentation and yoga. The American Red Cross will erect a medic tent that will have an obstacle course and other kid-oriented activities. And the long-standing favorite, the Teddy Bear Clinic for toddlers will be available.

For adults, there are free skin cancer, hearing and vision screenings as well as an opportunity to have your blood pressure checked and to try out the new “vein viewer.”
New this year, Jackson Hole Fire and EMS specialists will conduct free infant and children car seat safety checks.

Acupuncturist Marcia Male will give Qigong demonstrations, and guest speakers will present a variety of topics including “Knowing Your Family History Could Save Your Life,” “Disaster Preparedness Starts with You” and “Health Information You Can Use! A Focus on Quality Internet Resources to Help You Better Understand Your Health.” St. John’s lab staff will be on hand to draw blood at the fair.

The Teton County Health Fair is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Snow King Center. You will get a free water bottle if you walk or ride your bike to the health fair. If you live out of town and park in the new parking garage and walk from there, you also can earn a free water bottle.

Be sure to visit the St. John’s Medical Center’s raffle booth and enter a drawing to win free personal training sessions, gym memberships and other prizes.
For a complete list of participating booths or for more information, visit www.tetonhospital.org, or call 739-7626.

Helping children handle change
For many youth and their families, Teton County is a community marked by transitions and change. World-renowned child psychologist Dr. Bruce D. Perry, an expert on children in crisis, will give a presentation for parents tomorrow and a workshop for professionals on Friday.

Perry is a senior fellow at The Child Trauma Academy, a not-for-profit organization that promotes innovations in serviced, research and education in child maltreatment and is the co-author of “The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog: What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love and Healing.”

Many community and governmental agencies have consulted with Perry following high-profile incidents involving traumatized children, including the Columbine, Colo., school shootings, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Branch Davidian siege.
Dr. Wendy Laakmann, a psychologist in Jackson, is looking forward to Perry’s visit.
“He has a lot of knowledge about how children can get help in non-traditional ways,” she said.

Perry will discuss the impacts of change on brain development and will offer practical insights to support and educate children during changes.
Thursday night’s presentation is from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jackson Hole Middle School and is free to the public. In addition, Perry will conduct a full day workshop on Friday for professionals at Snow King Resort that is also free of charge, but enrollment is required by Thursday evening. Register at 732-0891 or aprilh@rainmakercoaching.com.

Perry is brought to Jackson by SAGE West Collaborative, which is a community-based collaboration of all the agencies that serve youth facing mental health issues in Jackson. They believe the better the organizations work together, the better the experience for youth and family.

To learn more about SAGE West Collaborative, visit their booth at Saturday’s Teton County Health Fair.

Courtesy photo
The Teddy Bear Clinic at the Health Fair is not to be missed.

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Living Well April 30, 2008 | Planet JH News Article: Living Well

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