Sparky the Dog from the Pikeville Fire Department joined visitors at the Health Fair at the Pike Co. Public Library.

Big Sandy Area Community Action Program (BSACAP) held their second annual Community Health Fair on Wednesday at the Pike County Public Library in Pikeville. The free event assisted Pike County residents to connect with healthcare providers in the area.

Pike Countians were treated to free blood pressure checks, diabetic foot screenings, fingerprinting by the Pikeville Police Department, and information on a large variety of healthcare, education, and disaster relief options. Sparky the Dog from the Pikeville Fire Department even stopped by to say hello to visitors.

BSACAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the providing comprehensive services to low-income families in order to help them improve their economic situation. Kim Vicars, BSACAP’s Community Service Block Grant Manager, explained that each year the organization conducts a survey of area citizens in order to learn about their most pressing concerns. Vicars stated that health has consistently ranked among the top five concerns for the last several years.

“This Health Fair is one way we are working to tailor our services to the specific needs of the communities we serve,” she said. “It helps us to reach out to some of the most vulnerable people in our community and provide them with information about the healthcare options available to them and the vital health services they may need.”

BSACAP Executive Director Mike Howell explained, “At BSACAP, we fight poverty and promote economic development by helping individuals and families in our area achieve self-sufficiency. We provide job and workforce services for people of all ages, college scholarships, the Garden Seed nutrition program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and many other programs, but we know that the health of our citizens is the foundation of the educational and economic success of our region, and we want to work to ensure a strong and healthy workforce is available.”

Organizations represented this year were the American Red Cross, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Appalachian Hospice Care, Appalachian Pregnancy Care Center, Big Sandy Community and Technical College, Big Sandy Diabetes Coalition, Big Sandy Health Care, Commonwealth Educational Opportunity Center, Department of Protection and Permanency (DCBS), Kentucky Blood Center, Kentucky Homeplace Program (UK), Mountain Comprehensive Care’s Healing Program, Pat’s Pharmacy, Pike County Housing Authority, Office for the Blind, Pike County Extension Office, Pikeville Fire Department, Pikeville Police Department, Scholar House of Central Appalachia, Shriners A-Team, Transamerica Agency Network, USDA Rural Development, VA Medical Center, and the YMCA.

The Community Health Fair is funded, in part, by the Community Services Block Grant made available by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about Big Sandy Area Community Action Program, call (606) 432-2775.