OC Health Fair Gets New Name

OCEAN CITY – The newly renamed 28th Annual Ocean City Community Health Fair is planned for May 6 this year.

Melvin Friedman, chairman of the Ocean City Community Health Fair, came before the Mayor and City Council earlier this month to extend an invitation for all to attend the 28th Annual Ocean City Community Health Fair.

The Ocean City Community Health Fair, formerly known as the AARP Health Fair, will take place Tuesday, May 6, at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center from 7 a.m.-noon.

The event is co-sponsored by the Mayor and City Council, Atlantic General Hospital Healthy Happenings and AARP Chapter 1917. Free health screenings and health education will be offered at the fair.

Health screens provided include but are not limited to complete lipid panel and blood glucose that requires a 12-hour fast, lung function, carotid, hearing, bone density and spine. New this year is a skin cancer screening and clogged artery screening.

Special guest speakers and demonstrations include Acupuncturist Mark Stoehr at 9 a.m. and Dermatologist Curtis Asbury at 9:30 a.m. as well as Sherman the Shorebird and Sammy the Seagull.

“This year we decided to change the name of the event from AARP Health Fair to the Ocean City Community Health Fair. The reason we did that was we felt that AARP looked at 50 and over. We changed it to community because we want everybody to attend. Everything is free and we want everyone from Ocean City, Worcester County, and Wicomico County, everywhere to come,” Ocean City AARP President Chris Norris said.

Mayor Rick Meehan agreed with the event’s name change.

“It is a great idea to change the name to the Community Health Fair. It gives the message the event is held for everybody, and I know that is your goal. It will be bigger and better than it ever was,” the mayor said.

Atlantic General Hospital CEO Michael Franklin added community health fairs are becoming more popular with the changes being made with the health care exchange.

“These types of events are becoming more and more important because of the change in health care, and for us to help the community understand the importance of health care, healthy behaviors, and getting screenings done. These are key events to gather information on the health exchanges, and those types of new activities that are being presented to all of us,” Franklin said.