Mesquite Gaming Holds First Annual Health Fair

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Mesquite Gaming held its first annual Health and Wellness Fair on Friday, September 16 at the Casablanca Resort Convention Center in Mesquite. The Fair was organized primarily for the employees of Mesquite Gaming. But it was open to all of the public throughout northeast Clark County region.
Organizers were pleased with the turnout considering it was the first year of the event. While the large venue was far from crowded, many attendees wandered through the various displays at a fairly steady pace throughout the afternoon.

“This is our first crack at it and I think it has been pretty productive,” said Paula Farrell, Director of Benefits and Workers Compensation at Mesquite Gaming. “We have had steady people coming through here today; and that is nice.We have plans to come back again next year and make it bigger and have more vendors.”

The Health Fair was a source of a wealth of information to those in attendance. Nearly 20 organizations and local health care providers participated in the event. Representatives were able to take time to interact with the public, answering questions and providing services.
Walmart was providing free eye exams to those interested.

Walgreens drug store was offering free flu shots to the public in preparation for the upcoming flu season.
Mesa View Hospital provided an array of services. Attendees could have their blood tested to identify their blood type.
“A lot of people don’t really know what blood type they are,” said Mesa View Hospital Laboratory Administrative Director Kathy Jo Knight who was performing the tests. “Sometimes people are curious to know.”

In addition, Mesa View staff was measuring Body Mass Index (BMI) and taking blood pressure readings
Representatives from an organization called LifeSavingImages were also in attendance. This organizations schedules a 45-foot tour bus, equipped with a medical imaging unit, to various worksites to perform mammograms for women. They stressed the importance of catching signs of breast cancer early.

The organization is planning to bring the tour bus to the Mesquite community on October 27-29 to the Casablanca to perform the testing. Representatives also expressed an interest in scheduling a day in Moapa Valley as well. Watch the Progress for more details as they become available.

Several fitness and wellness organizations were on hand to offer services. Reina’s Zumba provided free basic zumba instruction. The Mesquite Gaming Spa department offered free chair massages to the public, and Mesquite Fitness provided interactive displays and information about custom fitness programs.

The Red Cross were also set up at the location to allow attendees to give blood.
Other organizations and vendors at the Health Fair included Mesa View Physical Therapy, Falcon Ridge Dental, MES Vision, Mesquite Behavioral Health Center, Anthem, Fidelity Investments, Premier Access, Aflac Insurance and more.