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The Ohio National Guard, together with the Ohio Department of Health, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department and ProMedica will provide free health services to area residents Aug. 20 and 21 through a program called GuardCare.
GuardCare provides free health services while contributing to the Guard’s medical training readiness. Hosted each year in a different medically underserved Ohio community, this year, GuardCare will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Lucas County Health Department, 635 N. Erie St., Toledo.
Services, which will be offered free to all Ohio residents regardless of income, include physicals, child and adult immunizations, hearing and vision screening, dental screening, HIV testing, lab work (as needed), lead poisoning testing for children, EKG and Pap tests. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or written consent must be provided.
“We are very pleased to be able to bring medical services to the residents of Lucas County and Ohio,” said Maj. Gen. Deborah Ashenhurst, state adjutant general. “The men and women who fill the ranks of our medical units are among the best and brightest that Ohio has to offer. It is very encouraging to see those who work in professional patient care donate their time to serve their country and their communities throughout Ohio.”
Blood supplies still low
American Red Cross blood supplies remain at seriously low levels, even after hundreds of area residents responded to the national appeal for blood donors.
In addition, the massive heat wave encompassing much of the country is hurting blood collections at a time when the Red Cross has been working to rebuild its inventories to adequate levels.
“The Red Cross is grateful to everyone who has come forward to give blood in response to this appeal, but we still need donors to make appointments in the coming days and weeks to help us ensure that all patient blood needs can be met,” said Annie Marckel, program manager of communications for the Western Lake Erie Region of the American Red Cross.
“We carefully monitor blood supplies, sometimes on an hourly basis, in the hope that there will never be a point where surgeries need to be cancelled,” said NurJehan Quraishy, medical director for the Western Lake Erie Region of the American Red Cross. “However, there is always the chance that a physician could opt to postpone elective surgery when the blood supply dips too low, or in a worst-case scenario, have to forego a procedure such as a lifesaving organ transplant because of a shortage of blood.”
The Red Cross Western Lake Erie Blood Services Region provides blood to 24 hospitals and must have 300 people give blood and platelets each weekday to meet hospital demand.
Eligible blood donors are asked to call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to find a blood drive and to make an appointment.
Funding provided
Diabetes Youth Services (DYS) received $11,000 in funding from five foundations for services ranging from Diabetes Summer Camps to a Toddler Program, all designed to help local children better manage type 1 diabetes. New grants recently received include:
* $1,000 for DYS’s Toddler Program from the Waite Brand Foundation;
* $500 for Diabetes Summer Camps from the Diabetes Action Research & Education Foundation;
* $7,000 for Diabetes Summer Camps from the Zepha & Otto Manahan Crippled Children’s Fund;
* $1,500 for a Mother’s Retreat from Laughing Acres Family Foundation;
* $1,000 for operating expenses from the Nellie Bash for Kids Fund.
Diabetes Youth Services is an independent nonprofit organization providing educational and supportive services for young people with diabetes, their families, and schools in 34 counties in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. DYS works in cooperation with all area hospitals, health care providers, the American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Southeastern Michigan Diabetes Outreach Network but receives no direct funding from these groups.
For more information about DYS or to make a donation, visit www.dys4kids.org or call 419-887-8739.
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