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Elizabeth Guerrero was quick with her invitation. As visitors passed by her station at a recent health and wellness fair at Stamford's downtown area Holiday Inn, she posed her question.
"Would you like to have a skin analysis?" she asked. It all has to do with UV lights, she said. A person positions his or her head into a waiting imaging machine, and an enhanced image of the skin is taken. By looking at what it records, Elizabeth is able to ascertain a person's underlying problems.
"Within a couple of seconds I can tell them," Elizabeth says. White flakes on the image indicate dead skin. Dark circles imply poor circulation. "They need to get more sleep," she says.
The 16-year-old a regular volunteer at Stamford Hospital was one of several hospital affiliates participating in the health fair. The daylong event was part of the weeklong annual convention of the Universal Hagar's Spiritual Church Association, held for the second consecutive year in Stamford. Screening, consultations and information were available. The fair was free and open to the public.
Mary Judge, a registered nurse and manager of community health education for the hospital, had seen nearly 50 people in three hours, checking cholesterol and blood pressure. Mary Lou Kerr, another registered nurse, also checked blood pressure and found that "quite a few" people had borderline high readings.
"They were instructed to see their physician," Kerr says.
Some were referred immediately to Dr. Tabitha Fortt, a family practitioner and hospital staff physician, who fielded questions.
"There have been several concerns," she said. "Hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, different ways to control their weight."
Bringing hospital affiliates into the community helps promote preventive care, said Kerr.
"That's why we're here," she said, "to offer a little outreach for prevention and well-being."
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