Idaho State University-Meridian Health Science Center and Ada County to provide free flu shots at community health screening Dec. 7

Uninsured and unable to afford medical care?

For the second year, the Idaho State University-Meridian Health Science Center, Ada County, Central District Health, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare have partnered to bring free community health screenings to low-income Ada County residents.

Faculty and students from the Meridian Health Science Center will conduct the screenings Wednesday, Dec. 7, 4-7 p.m., at ISU-Meridian, 1311 E. Central Drive, located on the north side of I-84 between Meridian and Locust Grove roads.  A Valley Ride bus stops in front of  campus.

The program, which sprang from an Ada County initiative to find ways to help save taxpayer dollars spent on indigent health care costs, provides basic physical exams, dental evaluations, hearing and depression screenings, on-site testing for blood sugar levels and HIV, and a variety of health education information.

"Providing health care to low-income and uninsured individuals is extremely costly to taxpayers at both the county and state levels, particularly when the care is provided through local hospital emergency rooms," said Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman.

"We hope to keep costs in check by providing free screenings that promote preventive care and personal responsibility for one's own health.  We are now also providing follow-up assistance through the Garden City Community Clinic to ensure that screening patients are able to get the care they need before their health issues become critical and significantly more costly for taxpayers," said Ullman.

"Prevention is a crucial piece of health care, and our mission with these screening events is to identify individuals at risk of preventable diseases," said Dr. Glenda Carr, an ISU-Meridian assistant clinical pharmacy professor. 

The free screenings are intended for low-income adults with no insurance or limited access to preventive health care.  The full screening process will take about an hour. In addition to conducting the screenings, ISU-Meridian faculty and students will provide disease prevention, dental, nutritional and diabetes education.

For more information, call 373-1700.

Media Contacts:  Jessica Donald, Communications Specialist, Ada County, 287-6998 or Chris Gabettas, Public Information Specialist, ISU-Meridian, 373-1806