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Health summit, free H1N1 vaccine clinic bring out the masses Saturday

HT photo by BOB EAST III

Jami Frazier give Jean Krisher a massage Saturday during the Health, Education and Resource Summit at Brooksville Regional Hospital. The event provided visitors with health screening lectures on a wide variety of health issues and H1N1 flu vaccinations.

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: November 15, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - There were shots and screenings available and plenty of lessons to be learned.

Ten lectures took place in three different rooms Saturday at the Health, Education and Resource Summit at Brooksville Regional Hospital.

Up and down the main corridors of the building were booths for everything from chair massages to posture screenings.

Two of those interested in giving out health advice to the public were Dr. M.P.R. Nathan, a cardiologist, and Jonelle Noe, a dietician at the hospital.

A portion of the cafeteria was set up by Publix to show visitors the smart, savvy ways to shop healthy. Noe was showing the setup to Nathan.

"If people would just learn how to eat healthy, we can cut down half of our country's health care expenses," Nathan said. "So many of our health problems are related to diet and lack of exercise."

The event was planned and organized by the Brooksville Regional Women's Advisory Council.

The screenings included cholesterol and triglycerides, complete metabolic panel, complete blood count, thyroid panel, blood pressure, breathing and oxygen level, posture and eyesight.

The lectures included medication safety, managing high blood pressure, treatments for heart attacks and coronary blockages, diabetes management and caregiving.

Kathy Burke, vice president of Hernando Healthcare and former CEO at Brooksville Regional, pointed at one lecture in particular listed on the program - Super Women Having Super Lives Without Stupid Stress.

"That one was definitely full," she joked.

Burke said by the midway point of the summit, more than 400 people had come through the doors.

H1N1 flu vaccines were available, but that "wasn't the big draw," Burke said.

"A lot of the people here are for the lab work, testing and blood screenings," she said. "They like having those affordable screenings available because they can follow up on them more easily."

There were roughly 36 H1N1 vaccines administered at the summit Saturday.

A free vaccine clinic took place a few miles away at Nature Coast Technical High School.

Ann-Gayl Ellis, a spokeswoman for the Hernando County Health Department, said she expected upwards of 500 patients at the clinic that day.

"I'm pretty happy with it," she said. "We're working at a pretty good pace."

More than 340 tickets already had been handed out by the end of the second hour.

"We'll definitely have more to do when the restrictions are lifted," Ellis said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified five priority groups for the vaccines - pregnant women, people who live or care for infants ages 6 months and younger, health care and emergency medical workers, people ages 6 months to 24 years old and those between the ages of 25 and 64 who have underlying health conditions.

For more information on H1N1 vaccines, visit myflusafety.com.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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