BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — With a goal to help improve wellness, the Urban League of Louisiana and Ochsner Baton Rouge is hosting “The Big Health Event” this Saturday Oct. 7, to help fill a void of community health.
“We know that there are tremendous health disparities that exist for the African-American community and other communities of color,” CEO and president of Urban League of Louisiana Judy Morse said. “Community health is an issue of high public importance and should be viewed from a physical, from a mental, and from an economic perspective.”
Regional Medical Director of Ochsner Health Baton Rouge, Aldo Russo, says this is important, especially to showcase how easy it is for everyone to get the help they need.
“It shouldn’t be depending on your zip code or where you were born or the color of your skin to get the services that you need,” Russo said.
Morse says this is not your regular event, but a health experience that will bring many things under one roof such as 19 different types of screenings such as home medication reviews, vision screenings, mental health stations, and also a way for you and your family to learn how to get fit.
“We’ll have culinary examples from some of the best chefs here in Baton Rouge. We’re going to have physical trainers who are here to talk about the importance of moving. If you’re looking for a job, you can come and talk to the Ochsner Career Center,” she said.
Other things people can expect are candid conversations with health care professionals that will answer questions you may have. There will also be a kid zone with STEM activities and more.
Morse invites the community to come to the event in hopes people start prioritizing their health and wellness.
“We hope that they’ll get the information that they’ve been looking for, that they’ll get the results of screenings that they’ve been meaning to have or that they didn’t even know existed,”she said.
The event will happen Saturday, Oct 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Raising Canes River Center in downtown Baton Rouge.
