Major Julianne Legierse, Pediatric Element Leader of the Clinical Operations at Minot AFB Clinic, had an idea that is becoming a reality. She and the Pediatric Team at the base clinic have put their heads, hearts and time into planning and pulling off the first ever (according to recent history) MAFB Health Fair on Saturday, August 5th from 10am -2pm, right inside the base clinic at the Medical Group Atrium.
As the first event of its kind, the Health Fair hopes to build community and bridge the gap with access to medical care for the base population. Maj Legierse explained that the idea of the Health Fair was uncovered through the means of “Evidence Based Practice,” which takes into consideration research, clinical experience and patient preference, all together finding new ways to better medically serve patients.
The main goal of the Health Fair is to offer a fun experience for Tricare Prime families to come get their school-aged kids sports physicals at one easy time and for free. Sports physicals are usually required for students to participate in any manner of extracurricular activities and they are valid all year. So, Maj Legierse recommends those playing winter and spring sports to go ahead and get theirs now before school starts and life gets hectic. If high school students already have their NDHSAA Physical Form, Maj Legierse requested that parents bring the form already filled out to save time. However, no need to worry if it gets forgotten because there will be blank forms available at the Health Fair as well. If patients are on a strict time schedule, Maj Legierse advises calling and scheduling an appointment for the Health Fair ahead of time, to guarantee less wait times, but walk-ins are also perfectly acceptable. Appointments can be made by calling the regular 5th Medical Group Appointment line: (701) 723-5633. But she also mentioned that she will personally guarantee that every child receives a sports physical that needs one and is there before 2pm.
Even though the main goal of the Health Fair is to perform sports physicals for students, and spread the word about health options, adult patients can also visit the Women’s Health Clinic and receive a walk-in pap smear or get advice from a nurse practitioner about contraception options on Saturday, August 5 during the Health Fair. Any other medical appointment needs will still need to be scheduled through the 5th Medical Group and attended during regular business hours.
Having the event on a Saturday means that every single person working the event will be volunteering their time and expertise to make this happen. Maj Legierse confirmed that there will be nine medical providers present. Four of these providers will have a calendar and take scheduled appointments. The other four are available for walk-in physicals on the day-of.
Maj Legierse said that this fair is for everyone that is a Tricare Prime beneficiary, even those not looking for a sports physical on that day. She said there will be representation from many of the base organizations, including the Chaplains, who will be providing donuts and drinks for guests. In addition to the CPR station, face painting and book giveaways, outside in the parking lot will be ambulances and first responder vehicles open for kids to explore and learn about. This is a fun & beneficial community event for the entire base. She made a point to say that the creation of this community health outreach was only made possible by the huge amounts of effort and work from the entire team at the 5th Medical Group. Maj Legierse hopes for this event to become an annual smashing success and gets care for as many base kids as possible.
