LA PORTE AND STARKE COUNTIES – The Mobile Health Unit will visit several neighborhoods in La Porte and Starke counties in October to bring free bone density screenings and breast cancer information to community members. Information will also be available for qualifying individuals who are due for their annual screening mammogram but do not have the resources to pay for it.
Health promotion professionals with La Porte Hospital will provide heel bone density screenings throughout October to help individuals learn about their possible risk for osteoporosis. About 55 percent of people ages 50 and older in the US have osteoporosis or low bone mass. That’s 44 million people. Many don’t know it until they break a bone. The heel bone density screening is quick and painless; it takes about 10 minutes and involves placing your bare foot onto a special machine that screens the heel bone for possible low bone mass, which could be an indicator of low bone density througout the body. Information will be available on how to keep healthy bones, including healthy doses of Vitamin D in the diet, espeically during fall and winter when people spend less time outdoors. (Healthy exposure to ultraviolet rays helps the body produce Vitamin D).
Breast cancer prevention and early detection information will also be available on the Mobile Health Unit throughout October, including the importance of breast self exam, screening mammography, and breast cancer information for men. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. Those who are due for their annual screening mammogram but do not have the resources to pay for it can inquire about the mammogram voucher program through La Porte and Starke hospitals. The program is made possible by a grant secured by The Foundation from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust, primarly through the sale of breast cancer awareness license plates in Indiana. In La Porte, women who need a voucher can contact their primary care provider to receive a physican’s order and voucher for the screening mammogram. If you need a primary care provider, visit laportehealth.com or starkehealth.com and click on Find A Doc. In Starke County, contact Josephine Klicek at (574) 772-1139 for information about the vouchers.
The Mobile Health Unit will be available at the following locations and times. For more information, call (219) 325-7848.
10:30 a.m. – Noon, Oct. 4, Good Will Industries, 3822 Franklin St., Michigan City
10-11:30 a.m., Oct. 6, Al’s Supermarket, 3535 Franklin St., Michigan City
10:30 a.m. – Noon, Oct. 10, La Porte Hospital, 1007 Lincolnway, La Porte
10-11:30 a.m., Oct. 11, Kroger, 55 Pine Lake Ave., La Porte
10-11:30 a.m., Oct. 12, Kabelin’s, 512 Andrew Ave., La Porte
1-2:30 p.m., Oct. 14, Bailey’s Discount Center, 5900 S. Range Road, North Judson
9:30-11 a.m., Oct. 18, Al’s Supermarket, 702 E. Lincolnway, La Porte
9:30-11 a.m., Oct. 25, Good Will Industries, 1509 E. Lincolnway, La Porte
10-11:30 a.m., Oct. 27, Starke Hospital, 102 E. Culver Road, Knox
The Mission of La Porte Hospital is to improve the health of our patients and communities.
