CHRISTUS Health provides free screenings to children
CHRISTUS Health Shreveport- Bossier will host its fifth annual Back to School Healthy Checkup from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. Aug.1 at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center.
“We will pre-register 1,200 children for the event,” Sister Sharon Rambin, director of School Base Health for CHRISTUS, said. “This is something that CHRISTUS Health Shreveport Bossier is proud to do and happy to be part of. It helps to keeps us in touch with the needs of the community and we love being a part of making sure that our children are safe and happy. We keep them well-entertained. It’s not that fearful, have to go and get a shot kind of thing. It’s a fun thing, and being in the middle of Sci-Port being surrounded by all sorts of fun activities just makes it even better. It’s a trip to the dentist, the eye doctor and a physical all in one stop. It’s just a good thing.”
Children who are registered will be given a mini checkup on the day of the event.
“We check their BMI, we check their blood pressure. The state will be there and they will check their immunization records. We check their vision, and the Lion’s Club is bringing in a mobile unit from California that will enable the children to even get eyeglasses that day. We also check their teeth. Dr. [Rodrick] Loud and his staff will be there to do a thorough dental examination,” Rambin said.
“Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and when they arrive they will be given a card that they will carry to each station, and when they do, they will get a punch on the card. They must also visit four of the 25 social service agencies there – we will have many of the different social service agencies and nonprofits that can help families with various needs. Once they go through all of those stops, they turn it in and will get a backpack full of school supplies. And it’s all free,” Rambin said. “We do have interpreters. We have a good sized turnout from the Hispanic community that comes, and we have about a dozen guide interpreters who can help these families understand the information if there is a language problem.”
Some of the social service agencies that will be on site include but are not limited to Families Helping Families, The Boys and Girls Club, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department, Shreveport Fire Department, LaCare and LaChip.
Not only will the children be given a mini checkup, they will also be allowed to stay at Sci-Port all day for free and will also receive a snow cone.
“There will be clowns and pet therapy dogs there as well – it’s just a day that we want to make sure the children in our community are healthy,” Rambin said. “If there is a problem, we have consultants there. In other words, if a child has high blood pressure there will be medical professionals there to give the parents some tips of what they need to do and may advise them to take their child to the doctor if necessary.”
Registration is open to all children who are of school age and will stay open until they reach their 1,200 cap.
“If we didn’t put on the cap, I think we would have thousands [of children coming through]. At this point, we prefer to stay with 1,200 just to make sure we can give these children these special needs. It’s open to everyone – There’s no questions about finances or needs or anything like that. It’s open to any family that needs these services,” Rambin said.
Rambin said there are different ways anyone in the community can assist can assist. “We are always looking for sponsors for children. For $25 they can sponsor a children which gives them all the school supplies, and we always are happy to receive donations.”
To register a child, sponsor a child or make a donation, call 681-4278.
– Mandy Byrd
