Photo Caption: The free screening in Camden County was among the 24 Healthy Living for a Lifetime events conducted last year.

One year after launching an aggressive initiative, North Carolina Farm Bureau is seeing great germination of Healthy Living for a Lifetime. The program brings an innovative approach to addressing immediate health care needs of rural North Carolinians while fostering awareness of healthy lifestyle choices that will result in long-term health improvements among vulnerable populations.

Since it’s beginning, NCFB’s program has conducted 24 free screening events and examined 2,873 rural North Carolinians while partnering with nearly 300 local medical organizations.

“Healthy Living for a Lifetime was a great way for us to reach out to the community and provide needed health screenings, as well as to promote health resources in the area,” says Shea Laws, Yancey County School Health Center director and access to care chairperson for Healthy Yancey.

“We had over 20 health and wellness organizations represented, and I spoke to several people who were truly surprised to learn just how many resources we have here in Yancey County,” Laws continues. “I thought the turnout was great and that those who participated came away impressed and appreciative.”

The majority of individuals who came to a screening were female (68 percent). A quarter of all participants had no insurance coverage at all, while another 24 percent were under Medicare and another 30 percent had private insurance.

While 76 percent of clients responded that they were in good or excellent health, organizers determined 73 percent were overweight or obese.

Photo Caption: The Yancey County event helped to push the amount of people screened last year to 2,873.

Other findings of the people who went through a free Healthy Living for a Lifetime screening include the following:

• 35 percent had high cholesterol
• 16 percent had high blood glucose
• 64 percent had high blood pressure

“As I discussed participants’ results with them, I could see that people truly wanted to know more about their health,” says Bobby Tipton, medical provider at Saluda Medical Center, which is located near Hendersonville.

“No matter if their numbers were good or bad, hopefully everyone came away more aware of their health and energized to make healthier lifestyle choices,” Tipton continues. “I absolutely think this event made a difference
in the lives of these individuals. If we were able to help just one person improve his or her health, then the effort was worth it.”

For more details about upcoming free screenings near you, visit www.healthylivingforalifetime.com.