Helping our neighbors at Wilmington Wellness Day
Since Christiana Care Health System’s inception in 1888, our longstanding commitment to Wilmington, Del., has taken many forms, including the current $210 million transformation project for our Wilmington campus. Our commitment also regularly unfolds at a grassroots level in the city.
More than a dozen Christiana Care departments participated in the 11th annual Wilmington Wellness Day on Sept. 18, 2010, bringing information about how to live longer, happier and healthier lives to more than 2,500 city residents. This event provides free health information and screenings that some lower-income residents of Wilmington may not be able to afford.
On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, employees of Christiana Care offered free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, nutrition and body-fat analysis, osteoporosis and depression.
The Christiana Care team screened more than 100 people and spoke with hundreds more about various ways to prevent disease and stay healthy. Rosemarie Richichi of Christiana Care Imaging has participated in Wilmington Wellness Day for the past three years and understands the impact of education and testing.
“Two young women stopped by our osteoporosis screening station,” Richichi said. “They initially declined to take advantage of the free screening, believing that osteoporosis could not affect them because they’re not old. They did, however, allow me to briefly explain the risk factors and effects of osteoporosis. Once they heard more about the condition, they changed their minds and decided to go ahead with the screening. As it turned out, each was surprised by the findings.”
Richichi said she looks forward to this event each year because it really gives her an opportunity to educate the community about osteoporosis.
Christiana Care departments and services that participated this year included Community Health Outreach, Trauma, the residency program, Exercise and Weight Management, Moving Moms Forward, Imaging, Kidney Transplant, Center for Advanced Joint Replacement, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Warriors Against Prostate Cancer, Nutrition and the Herman Rosenblum, M.D., Child & Adolescent Center.
Wilmington Wellness Day is co-sponsored by Christiana Care Health System, the City of Wilmington (Department of Parks and Recreation), 99.5 FM WJBR and the Wilmington Health Planning Council.
Photo gallery: Wilmington Wellness Day 2010
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