HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – How do you get teens to a health screening? How about the chance to win movie tickets, a 32” TV, $100 gift card, free lunch, and to meet former Tennessee Titan player and Chattanooga native Tony Brown? On Saturday, March 19 from 11AM-4PM, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department’s Community Outreach Program is sponsoring the “Teen Health NOW Summit” to offer free physical health screenings and teen health workshops. Registration on the Health Department’s website is free but parent/guardian permission is needed for the screenings.
“The Health Department’s primary mission is prevention,” explains Vanesa Montgomery, Community Outreach Program Manager, “We encourage screenings and regular wellness checks to catch problems before they grow into expensive and lifelong medical problems. Screenings are the key feature of this event.”
The screenings will be conducted by Prohealth Community Health Centers of Franklin, TN, cosponsored by partners BlueCare of Tennessee, Amerigroup, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, It Matters Wellness, and the City of Chattanooga’s Youth and Family Development program. The screenings will include:
- Physical assessment
- Diabetic screening (glucose/hbA1c)
- Cholesterol (if child falls over 85% of weight)
- Nutrition assessment
- Behavioral assessment
- Sports physical (if needed)
- Obesity screening (BMI)
- Urinalysis
- High blood pressure screening
- Hearing
- Vision
- Dental
The event will be held this Saturday at the Hixson Youth & Family Development Center, 5401 School Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37343. Free transportation will be provided from the following Youth & Family Development Centers: Washington Hills, Brainerd, and East Lake, departing each location at 10AM and returning to those locations around 5PM. Check-in and screenings begin at 10:30AM. Under 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone such as teacher, church leader, or case manager. There will be a separate track for adults. The consent form for the screenings can be downloaded and printed from the registration page on the Health Department’s website.
The Community Outreach Program (formerly TennderCare) at the Health Department is part of a statewide program called TennCare Kids that seeks to promote good health in TennCare children from birth until age 21. For more information about the event, email Ketre Commons at KetreC@HamiltonTN.gov, or call (423) 209-8080.
