KwanzaaFest Parkland Public Health Advisory MWBE

KwanzaaFest 2009 - HealthFest

HealthFest includes more than 30 healthcare entities that render FREE services to individuals attending KwanzaaFest on Sat from 10a-7p & Sun from 11a-6p.

The African American community experiences health disparities in most every major chronic health condition. In response to this reality, Commissioner Price constructed HealthFest to offer the ability to respond to and address the disparities that disproportionately affect many individuals residing in the North Texas area.

HealthFest offers a five-point health checkup through Adult Health Services, Children/Adolescent Health Services, Stress and Well-being Services, Prevention Information and Services, and Health Access Information (referral and registration) all at no cost to participants! Whether the focus is on diabetes, dental care, or mental health the opportunities are abundant for health organizations to join with KwanzaaFest/HealthFest and offer their unique niche in the array of health areas highlighted. HealthFest provides a comprehensive array of opportunities to address major health challenges and needs existing within the community.

There are two key components of HealthFest. First is the ability to offer sustainable linkages for access to follow-up care for those who are under-insured and uninsured. Providing a venue where sustainable health care access may become a reality to those who would otherwise remain out of care is a key goal of HealthFest. This is accomplished by ensuring the presence of several support programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Parkland, CHIPS, Ryan White providers, and grant funded oral health services. Second, HealthFest has grown beyond being a component of an annual event, through oversight of the District 3 Public Health Advisory Council.

Inspired by the outcomes resulting from HealthFest, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price created the District 3 Public Health Advisory Council in January 2006. Commissioner seated the council with key stakeholders from the Dallas health community, including administrators of local hospitals, nursing directors from local independent school systems, public health officials and representatives of national health organizations. He charged membership to focus on innovative solutions to health-related issues and disparities that affect constituents beyond the walls of HealthFest. To realize this charge, the following council goals were established:

1. Increase the level of support for health- related initiatives in the District 3 sector
2. Serve as a conduit for health information and resources to providers and the community
3. Evaluate and improve overall health emphasis through community outreach activities

Since inception, The District 3 Public Health Council has supported the work of KwanzaaFest HealthFest as it experienced a growth of almost 900%! In 2008, KwanzaaFest hosted more than 50,000 participants allowing HealthFest to provide more than $491,000 in free health services through hundreds of volunteer health professionals who conducted over 27,800 screening! The District 3 Public Health Advisory Council and KwanzaaFest HealthFest operate year-round to implement local initiatives, including lecture series for local area health professionals; events to promote linkages with indigent health care support; and outreach with health education and information through Town Hall meetings and radio vignettes, among other venues.

HealthFest: Come out for your health - stay for the fun!

Click Here for a complete list of HealthFest Organizations and Services

Some of the services provided during KwanzaaFest:

• Alzheimer’s Disease Memory Screening
• Ask-a Doc Medical Consultation
• Best Bones Forever Campaign
• Blood Disease and Blood Cancer Screening
• Blood Drive
• Blood Pressure Screening
• BMI, Weight and Height Screening
• Bone Density Screening
• Bone Marrow Donor Drive
• Breast Cancer Disparity Information
• Breast Cancer Screening & Vouchers
• Cancer Outreach & Education
• Cardiovascular Disease Education
• Children’s Medical Center of Dallas Services
• Childhood Obesity Awareness
• CHIPS Health Insurance Application Info and Assistance
• Cholesterol Screening
• Chronic Disease Materials
• Chronic Kidney Disease Education & Outreac
• Clinical Trial Outreach
• Community Health Initiatives Information
• Comprehensive Kidney Disease Screening
• Dental Screenings - Adults and Children
• Depression Screening
• Diabetes Outreach & Education
• Eye Exams
• Eye Glasses for Children
• Glucose Screening
• Flu Shots
• Fibromyalgia Awareness & Education
• Health Care Reform Education & Awareness
• Hepatitis C Screening & Outreach
• HIV Outreach & Prevention/li>
• HIV Rapid Testing, Program Referral
• HPV Awareness & Education
• Hypertension Screening
• Immunization Information
• Liver Disease Awareness
• Kidney Disease Risk Assessment
• Low-income Dental Care Programs
• Medicaid/Medicare Application Assistance
• Medicare Part D Outreach
• Medicare Prescription Plans
• Mental Health Education & Materials
• Mood Disorders Awareness
• Older Adult Program Awareness
• Osteoporosis Education
• Public Health Preparedness
• Parkland Community Services
• Parkland Health Plans
• Prostate Cancer Screening
• Sickle Cell Anemia Trait Screening
• Smoking Cessation Education
• STD Screening & Outreach
• Stroke Prevention Screening & Awareness
• Women’s & Infant Health Issues
• Vision Screening

Some of the vendors that attended KwanzaaFest last year:

• AARP of Texas
• AIDS Arms, Inc.
• American Cancer Society
• American Diabetes Association
• American Heart Association
• AstraZeneca
• Baylor College of Dentistry
• Baylor Health Systems
• Carter BloodCare
• Children's Medical Center Dallas
• Community Dental Programs
• Covance, Inc
• Dallas County Health and Human Svc.
• Dallas County Public Health Preparedness
• Dallas County Syphilis Elimination
• Dr. Drummond
• Dr. McDonald
• Dr. Watkins
• Eli Lilly & Company
• Essilor Foundation
• Gilead Sciences
• Methodist Health System
• N the Know - Medicare Advantage Benefits
• National Kidney Foundation of North Texas
• National Marrow Donor Program at Baylor
• National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
• North Texas Behavioral Authority
• Parkland First
• Parkland Mammography Program
• Parkland WISH Program
• Parkland Victim Intervention Program
• Peabody Health Center
• Pfizer, Inc.
• Roche Labs
• Texas Health Resources
• The Liver Institute at Methodist
• TMF Health Quality Institute
• University of North Texas
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• UT Southwestern Medical Center
• VHA, Inc.
• Walgreens
• Walgreens/AARP Wellness Tour