The sun was shining as spectators filled the stands at Sunday’s Gary SouthShore RailCats baseball game. As if the warm, sunny weather and an afternoon spent enjoying America’s favorite pastime wasn’t enough to make the day great, attendees were also treated to the 6th Annual NorthShore Health Fair, which took place during the game.
“This gives us an opportunity to give health screenings to the community while they have a fun day with their family,” said Gervay Dickerson, Lead Event Coordinator for NorthShore Health. “Of course, you might think, ‘Oh, a health fair at a game?’, but it’s important to bring these things to the community and reach people.”
The event takes place every year during Men’s Health Month, but NorthShore’s Denise Carpenter, Lead Community Outreach Coordinator, says the fair is about more than that.
“We like to highlight Men’s Health Month because we typically struggle with getting men into the office, but it’s not just about that,” Carpenter said. “We’re encompassing all areas of health from our babies to our seniors, and are here providing blood pressure readings, family care, prenatal, and more.”
Throughout the game, spectators could drop by and learn about a variety of health-related topics. Attendee, Luis Guillen, stopped by the NorthShore booth and was excited to hear about the services they offer for those who are either underinsured or uninsured.
“I’m a schoolteacher, so that means a lot to me,” Guillen said. “I know there are some students out there who might have some financial burdens, but they can still get physicals or whatever they need through NorthShore.”
Several different vendors accompanied NorthShore at the fair. Brooke Allen represented Neighbors Educational Opportunities (NEO), a free, alternative high school and adult educational center in Portage.
“NorthShore invited us to share the fact that we offer free high school classes and adult education classes to anyone in Northwest Indiana,” Allen said. “This includes GED classes and job certifications. This is a great opportunity for us to reach a large number of people in the community who might benefit from our services.”
Attendees could also learn more about all-around wellness through vendor Jackie Primos, representative of Wellness & Retreats, Inc.
“We are a full-service, wellness center specializing in inspiring healthy change,” Primos said. “Our goal is to encourage people to take responsibility for their health through self-care and detoxification.”
Adding to the excitement was the ceremonial first pitch, which was thrown by NorthShore’s own OBGYN, Dr. Keith Ramsey.
“I’ve never done this before,” Ramsey said. “It’s a great honor,and I really am thankful that I had the opportunity to do it.”
“Dr. Ramsey really is a pillar in our community,” added Dickerson. “To a lot of our patients, he’s seen as a superhero.”
Some of those patients were in attendance at the game, including Van Mguyen, his wife, and their twin daughters, who Dr. Ramsey helped deliver six years ago.
“One doctor recommended a c-section, but Dr. Ramsey was able to do it naturally,” Mguyen said. “He worked so hard that day. He is a wonderful man, and I have great respect for him as a doctor. I’ve wanted to do something for him for a long time but didn’t get a chance; today, I finally get to honor him!”
It was an emotional meeting as the Mguyen family embraced Dr. Ramsey, gifting him with flowers, hugs, and happy tears. NorthShore staff also honored him, presenting him with a cake, trophy, and figures of Batman, Superman, and Spiderman demonstrating the superhero impact he has on the community.
“It’s so wonderful to see the Mguyen’s like this,” Ramsey said. “They are a testament to the great things that NorthShore Health can do!” Ramsey continued, “People are always asking what we offer here at NorthShore, but we are really a one-stop-shop for all your health needs. You can come to us and see your family practitioner, your OBGYN, your pharmacy… whatever you need, we cover it all!”
To learn more about NorthShore Health and all that they bring to the community, visit https://www.northshorehealth.org/.
