For immediate release: Nov. 19, 2007

BLOOMSBURG — Nursing students at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania will hold a wellness fair at the Columbia Mall to provide health information and services to members of the community. The fair will be Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is open to the public free of charge.

Information on obesity, skin cancer, lung cancer, heart disease and general safety will be available at the fair. Local health organizations will be represented, including the Columbia/Montour County Area for Aging office, Columbia County Assistance office, Columbia/Montour Family Health, the BU Drug, Alcohol and Wellness Network (DAWN) office and the BU Counseling Center. Nursing students will offer free blood pressure, body mass index and body fat percentages screenings, as well as pulse oximetry, which measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. Free giveaways and refreshments will also be provided.

The fair is organized by senior nursing students as part of their community health nursing course at Bloomsburg. Over the course of the semester, the students assessed the behavioral risks and health demographics of Columbia County. The information and screenings provided at the fair focus on health concerns that affect communities in Columbia County specifically, according to Katie Wood, a senior nursing student from Port Carbon.

Each semester, senior nursing students assess a local community and organize an event to provide community members with health services and information free of charge. Past communities that have benefited from these programs include Danville, Sunbury, Muncy and Lewisburg.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Professional Studies, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.