A new “Walk with a Doc” will kick off the annual Wood County Health Fair in Quitman, where residents can walk alongside area physicians Sept. 12.
The one-mile walk will begin in front of the Stinson House in Jim Hogg City Park and follow a route through Quitman before returning to the starting point. A water station will be available at the halfway mark, and participants will receive a T-shirt.
Christine Thomas, executive director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission, said the walk is intended to be casual rather than competitive.
“It’s more of a just kind of a leisure walk, get out, stretch your legs kind of thing. It’s only a one mile,” Thomas said.
Participants will gather around 8 a.m., with the walk expected to begin between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. Thomas estimated the walk will take about 20 to 30 minutes. Participants will then be directed into the health fair for screenings and information about health care services.
Doctors participating in the walk are expected to represent several areas of medicine that may include cardiovascular care, orthopedics, primary care or pediatrics. They will be introduced before the walk and will walk with participants.
During a planning meeting with Thomas, UT Health representative Scott Berkley said the walk is not intended to provide individual medical consultations. Instead, doctors can direct participants to available resources if health concerns come up.
“It’s really to plug them(doctors) in, and then their team takes over and says, ‘Okay, what do you need, and how can we get it for you?’” Berkley said.
This is the fourth year for the Wood County Health Fair. Thomas said the event began after a study found that many county residents were uninsured, including older residents who were not regularly seeking medical care.
“Most of them don’t go to the doctor unless something’s broken, or their family brings them there. This is a way to get out in front of them and start them thinking about the preventive side of healthcare. That was the driver behind it,” Thomas said.
While reaching residents who may have limited access to health care was part of the reason for starting the event, the health fair is open to everyone.
“The demographic that we’re reaching is the entire county. It’s not like you have to be uninsured, indigent, and in bad health to come to this,” Thomas said.
Previous fairs have drawn younger adults for screenings, including carotid checks. Information about Medicare, Medicaid and other health care resources has also been offered.
UT Health has partnered with the county to provide screenings for cholesterol, high blood sugar and other services at previous health fairs. Organizers have made changes to the event over the years based on participation and feedback.
Thomas said information about this year’s fair has been distributed through local school districts and community partners, as well as through printed flyers.
For Thomas, the purpose of the event remains getting residents to pay more attention to preventive care and the health resources available to them.
The Wood County Health Fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, in Quitman. Walk with a Doc participants should gather at the Stinson House around 8 a.m.