GREENSBURG – Decatur County Memorial Hospital’s (DCMH) annual Healthy Fair attracted more than 600 guests Wednesday for an event intended to encompass every aspect of health.

Judging by a sea of vendor booths that populated the gymnasium of Greensburg Elementary School and stretched out into the hallway, the organizers appeared to succeed in that effort.

But the best evidence of a successful day may have come in the form of the hundreds of children and families who attended for four hours of health screenings, games, physician presentations, food and important health and safety handouts.

Kids clamored and climbed over faux rock walls and bounded through inflatable obstacle courses while their parents spoke with local and area experts and took part in numerous free health screenings.

Wednesday’s fair, as is always the case, hoped to spread the news that virtually every aspect of health is covered at the local hospital, DCMH Marketing and Communications coordinator Amy Shearer said.

To that end, Shearer and others helped ramp up efforts to introduce DCMH staff to the community via a series of presentations. The facility’s Diabetes Care Team joined Dr. Danielle Turnak, Dr. Anxhela Treska, pharmacist Vincent Polito, and nurse practitioner Shelly Walsman for informative presentations that shined a light on their work – outside of the traditional hospital setting.

Shearer, who led the organization of this year’s Healthy Fair, said she believes the presentation can help put potential patients at ease while keeping them informed about available local health services.

“It gives attendees a better look at our physicians as people,” Shearer said. “It’s more ‘down to earth’ and laid back.”

The presentations attracted crowds and worked as a forum of sorts in which guests could ask questions of the presenting physicians and other experts on hand.

And there was no shortage of knowledgeable people present Wednesday.

Myriad booths lined the expanse of the school and focused on healthcare concerns from birth to post-retirement. Pamphlets and other giveaways were available for all guests, and representatives from each organization answered questions and shared conversations with fairgoers.

And while Wednesday’s Healthy Fair was a way to interact with numerous local and area professionals, it was also an opportunity to stay on top of one’s own health through a long list of free health screenings.

Shearer said more than 200 visitors had taken part in the day’s blood pressure screenings alone. Screenings for cancer risk, red and white blood cell counts, cholesterol and others were all available at no charge.

The Indiana Blood Center made its third visit to Greensburg in the last five days on Wednesday as well, and recruited several more donors.

Door prizes were another attraction, and a free lunch courtesy of the local Jimmy John’s made sure no one left hungry.

Vicki Rudolf, Hospital Foundation coordinator, said Jimmy John’s owner Rich Bryant began baking bread at 2 a.m. Wednesday for the event. Other help for the 700 lunches prepared came courtesy of the DCMH dietary department.

There were also many opportunities to work off the few calories of the healthy lunch, particularly for kids. Hobby horses joined the array of inflatable bouncy things that took up a great deal of real estate inside the elementary school. The aforementioned rock wall, however, may have been the biggest attraction for kids as steady lines formed, each full of children eager to scale the structure.

At the end of the day, it was all about health, all about fun, and all about keeping the community informed of ways they can stay healthy in the Tree City.

“It’s great community awareness for the hospital,” Shearer said. “There’s this misconception that so many health services are only available in larger cities. But everything they need is right here, at their hands.”

Contact: Brent Brown 812-663-3111 x7056; brent.brown@greensburgdailynews.com