The city of New Orleans issued the following news release:
The City of New Orleans Health Department and the Morehouse School of Medicine will host a full-service Health Fair every day beginning at 8 am on Monday, February 6, 2006 through Sunday, February 12, 2006 at the Audubon Zoo and Gardens, 6500 Magazine Street.
'One of our most critical goals is to serve our citizens by creating a safe environment that promotes healthier living. This fair is a great opportunity for all New Orleans residents to get free medial attention and better cope with life post-Katrina,' said Mayor C. Ray Nagin.
New Orleans residents will receive free medical, dental and eye care services that include a complete examination and health assessment, general medical and surgical care, cancer, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, eye examinations with glasses and contacts made on the spot. These services are made available through a Remote Area Medical (RAM), an international mobile relief force of volunteer doctors, nurses and technicians.
A section of the Audubon Zoo will become a full-service dental office with more than 70 dental chairs where patients can have teeth filled, root canals and extractions. Women can schedule appointments to have mammograms and pap smears, and a full- service lab will be set up to provide tests throughout the week.
'For all intents and purposes, Audubon Zoo will become Audubon Medical Center for a week,' said Dr. Kevin Stephens, Director of the City's Health Department. 'Following Hurricane Katrina, it became incumbent upon us to reach out to organizations that could assist with our healthcare needs,' said Stephens.
Nannette Smith, Director of Community Relations for the zoo said, 'This is an incredible service to our community, and Audubon Zoo is proud to host this.'
In addition to free medical care, participants will be given the opportunity to create their own electronic personal and portable health care record. Each patient's personal medical history will be digitally recorded and, in the first effort of this size, the information will then be transferred to thumb drives or CD discs that the patient can take with them after completion of treatment.
'Thousands of paper medical records were destroyed along with files in doctor's offices and hospitals,' said Colin Evans of Intel's Digital Health Group. 'Digital technology can provide people with their own personal electronic health records that are private and portable; they can't be washed away, and they can be accessed from anywhere and New Orleans is leading the country in making this transformation happen.' As New Orleans continues to rebuild, Intel Corporation has been offering its technical expertise and resources by participating in the 'Health Recovery Week.'
For more information, please contact the Mayor's Press Office at (504) 658-4940.
