Ever since COVID-19 began to spread in March 2020, people have spent a lot of time worrying about the disease, and with good reason: It is highly contagious, causes debilitating, sometimes long-term illness; and has claimed millions of lives around the world (more than 900,000 in the U.S. alone). For the first nine months of the pandemic, there was no vaccine to combat it. Now, with life getting almost back to normal, people are beginning to shift their focus back to their primary health needs. Enter Englewood Health Urgent Care, which stepped up and offered free heart health screenings last week in an effort to promote healthy living within the community.
The screenings took place February 23-25 in recognition of American Heart Month. Community members who participated received a free blood pressure screening and BMI assessment. Afterwards they were assisted with locating a primary care physician for themselves and setting up an electronic medical health record. There was even a goody bag given to those who were screened.
For Lauren Golland, director of Englewood Health Urgent Care, the screenings mark a key phase of the community getting back to focusing on their primary care. “Since COVID began, a lot of people haven’t seen a doctor,” Golland shared with The Jewish Link. “They’ve skipped testing and treatment. We wanted to take the opportunity to help people get back to focusing on their other health needs. Screenings like this are important, as early diagnosis of a disease usually means you’ll have the best chance of recovery.”
An additional reason for the screenings was that the staff wanted to introduce the community to the new urgent-care center. The new building offers state-of-the-art facilities, and has a provider on staff during all operating hours. It is also open during the weekends.
“We want you to know that we’re for you,” Golland said. “If you have a non-urgent emergency, we can get you the help you need. And more than that, we want to make sure our community members are taking care of themselves, so when people come into the clinic, they’re greeted by our welcoming staff who truly want the best for them.”
Reception to the screening has been exceptionally positive, Golland reports. Those who attended were excited to be taking part, and many were relieved to be able to find a primary care physician.
“We always talk about wanting to be healthy and take care of ourselves properly,” said Golland. “The screenings were the opportunity for many to actually take the necessary steps to do so, and it made them feel proactive about their health. That’s what the whole point of the screening was, and we’re so glad we were able to help so many people.”
The goody bags that attendees received included a first-aid kit, a salad shaker and a lunchbox, among other items. But according to Golland, many found getting to speak to a provider about their health to be the best part of the experience.
“It’s been a long time for some people since they’ve seen a doctor,” Golland emphasized, “and just the opportunity to voice their concerns, fears and worries meant so much. If there’s one thing I hope people take from this, it’s that there’s ways to take care of yourself, and we’ll always be here to help.”
Englewood Health Urgent Care is located at 35 Nathaniel Place, across from the Shoprite, in Englewood. If you would like to learn more about their services, visit their website at www.englewoodhealth.org/urgent.
Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. He blogs at www.adamssoapbox.com.
