By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer
A faith-based group that plans to begin sending a mobile medical van to east Snohomish County this fall is offering free blood pressure checks at the Evergreen State Fair through Tuesday.
Volunteers with the Puget Sound Christian Clinic generally will be available each day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to conduct the screenings, said Diane Steward, executive director. The group’s blue medical van is parked at the fairground’s east entrance.
High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death both in the county and nationally. Blood pressure checks can help spot a problem before it causes more serious health issues.
The health screens are part of the efforts of the Puget Sound Christian Clinic to introduce the organization to the towns in the Skykomish Valley, Steward said.
In May, the group announced plans to begin operating a medical van in east Snohomish this fall.
Its goal is to help provide free medical services to the uninsured or other low-income groups who have problems getting medical care.
The group has operated a free clinic in north Seattle since 2003, with volunteers seeing more than 4,000 patients.
The clinic hopes to kick off every-other-week service to Monroe, Sultan and Snohomish beginning in November, seeing up to 26 patients each day.
The group’s first project was to purchase a van that could be used as a mobile medical clinic. The 40-foot van, which arrived in late July, has two exam rooms.
The organization still needs to raise about $50,000 to purchase computers, software and office equipment for the van and other supplies, Steward said.
It is working with five churches in Monroe and eight in Snohomish to raise the money needed to purchase the equipment, she said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
Free checks
Free blood pressure checks are being offered from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Tuesday at the east gate of the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe. The health screens are offered at the Puget Sound Christian Clinic’s blue van.
How to help
Puget Sound Christian Clinic still needs donations of computers, software and office equipment to begin offering free medical services in the Skykomish Valley this fall.
More info: Tyscen Stafford at techops@pschristianclinic.org.
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