Community Health Fair Provided Health Services to Over 200 People in Santa Ana’s Underrepresented Minority Communities
Dr. Nana Entsuah and Dr. Cheryl Wisseh of the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, along with other faculty leaders from the UCI Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences Interprofessional Education & Practice (IPEP) collaborative, coordinated the organization’s first community health fair, an event that provided chronic disease screening and health education to underrepresented minority communities in and around Santa Ana.
Held in Second Baptist Church, the oldest African American congregation in Orange County, the health fair served several underrepresented minority populations from throughout the area, including the Black, Hispanic, and Vietnamese communities of Santa Ana.
Over 200 people were provided with health services such as blood pressure screening, blood sugar screening, cholesterol screening, BMI assessment, and pediatric eye screening (through the UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute Eye Mobile for Children). Patients were also offered education and resources about prostate cancer, breast cancer, behavioral/lifestyle modalities to reduce and manage stress, healthcare career pathways, and public health/behavioral health.
In addition to helping people in the local community, the health fair served as an opportunity for students to work with patients and collaborate with other students from throughout the College of Health Sciences. The event promoted interdisciplinary collaboration between the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, and Program in Public Health. Interdisciplinary teams of students from each school and program provided health education and screened patients, overseen by a faculty facilitator.
“I was honored to lead this effort,” shared Dr. Entsuah. “This was a very successful event that helped to highlight UCI’s commitment to community service and our mission to provide equitable care to historically marginalized and underserved communities. We hope this is only the first of many IPEP health fairs!”
Click here for all the photos from this event!