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On Friday, April 12, Salus faculty, students and staff participated in the inaugural Health Fair conducted by the LeVine Backstretch Clinic, which is operated at the Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pa. as part of the horse racing facility there. The Backstretch Clinic is an initiative of the La Salle University Neighborhood Nursing Center; the volunteer physician, Dr. Ken Risen; and, the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (PTHA).
The fair ran from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Parx Casino Stables, located behind the racetrack, and was well-attended by racetrack employees. Many employees live in on-site dorms, and they received free healthcare screenings from multiple provider participants in the Health Fair.
Salus had the largest group of vendor participants, with 21 volunteers. The Salus team was led by Linda Casser, OD, FAAO, coordinator of the University’s Interprofessional Education Initiatives. Under the leadership of Maria Parisi, OD, FAAO, associate dean for Optometric Clinical Affairs and Brandy Scombordi, OD for The Eye Institute (TEI) of Salus University primary and emergency care services, Pennsylvania College of Optometry faculty and students conducted vision screenings inside and outside the Salus mobile unit. Under the leadership of Lindsay Bondurant, PhD, CCC-A, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute and assistant professor, hearing screenings were provided by students from the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA).
“Our goal today was to serve people in need,” said Dr. Casser. “Conducting health and wellness screenings are also a part of our educational mission, and our students who came today, supervised by the faculty, have gained a clinical experience in a very unique setting.”
Dr. Casser has been part of the planning committee for this event that began its work last November. “Any interprofessional event sets the foundation for further collaboration,” she said. “The planning committee made a commitment that this is the first of what is anticipated to become an annual Backstretch Clinic health fair.”
In all, Salus conducted 78 vision screenings and 28 hearing screenings. According to Dr. Casser, the Health Fair planning committee will reconvene soon to review the outcomes and to facilitate further care for those identified through screening results.
