ASHLAND — A group of 12 local health agencies, including OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center, Ashland County Health Department, and Wooster Community Hospital, hosted a health event last Thursday for Amish women in Ashland County.
Health professionals set up booths from 9 a.m. to noon inside UH Samaritan Medical Center in Ashland, offering a variety of services and information. There were also mobile units available outside.
According to one of the event organizers, Elisa Bryant, MSML, BSN, OCN, business project manager of oncology services at Mansfield Hospital and OhioHealth Shelby Hospital, around 50 people were in attendance, including vendors. Services offered included vaccinations, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol screenings, cervical cancer screenings, mammograms, and bone density screening.
Vendors also offered a CPR/choking demonstration, mental health education, women’s health and post-partum care education, vaccine education, cancer screening education, as well as information regarding the various services the agencies in attendance provide.
“We prioritize caring for the Amish community by actively listening to their healthcare concerns and offering those services to meet their needs,” Bryant said. “This fosters trust and continues relationship building with this special community.
“We strived to eliminate barriers to care, whether that was coordinating payment options, offering education in a way that resonates to their lifestyle, or ensuring that the services provided were in a setting that was comfortable for them.
“Our goal is to foster a partnership where the Amish community feels empowered and educated to prioritize their health while maintaining their way of life.”
According to Bryant, Amish Women’s Health Day was a direct response to feedback from the annual Amish Health and Safety Day. During that event, Amish women expressed an interest in having a health event focused specifically on women’s health.
“We aimed to provide these women with the opportunity to take charge of their health in a setting that respected their unique preferences and needs,” Bryant said.