HealthFair mobile screening vans team with Parkview for efficient medical checks

I have health insurance, a regular primary care doctor, and I'm generally in good physical health. So why would I want to spend $200 to have a bunch of tests performed in a mobile screening van?

Because it's convenient and efficient to have a bunch of tests done like this, in old-fashioned clinic form. When a mailing advertising lifeline screenings came to our house, I was interested. Parkview Heart Institute had partnered with a company called HealthFair out of Winter Springs, Florida to schedule medical tests for customers out of a traveling van. Different locations and dates around Fort Wayne were offered. Parking lots near gym facilities and shopping centers were some of the locations listed. I went online to schedule a date and choose a location. It was easy and the choices were close to home.

I like my personal physician a lot, but that office is very busy. I get quick attention when I have signs or symptoms of illness, but trying to get in for preventative checkups can be more difficult to schedule. And then, asking for a full battery of preventative screenings can be like pulling teeth to get scheduled for when healthy, and sometimes problematic to get insurance to cover.

So this is why I was interested in HealthFair screening vans. I could see from the literature and website they are capable of offering comprehensive, thorough tests in a relatively short visit. I would be able to get a written and also an online report that could give me all kinds of data at once.

I signed up for the EKG or Electrocardiogram. This monitors the electric rhythm of the heart. I'm in my 50s with some family history of heart disease, and have never had this test before, so I thought it was time to do so. I also had an ultrasound of the carotid arteries in my neck. People who have an excess of plaque built up in these blood vessels are more likely to suffer from strokes or heart disease.

I was also given an ultrasound of my abdominal aorta. This blood vessel is the body's largest, and carries the blood out of the heart to go on to circulate elsewhere in the body. Aneurysms in this area can cause sudden death in older adults if they rupture suddenly. Luckily for me, the results of all the above ultrasounds came back to be within normal ranges.

Another test that came back normal for me was that for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). If you have PAD, plaque has built up in your legs. This can be very painful, increases risk of heart disease, and may cause gangrene. I was also tested for arterial stiffness or hardening of the arteries, which is measured in the upper arm. Thankfully, this result for me was normal as well.

I also had some blood tests, which were all done with just a couple of finger sticks - no vials full of blood. These tests were sent off and measured my lipids: HDL, LDL, triglycerides, blood sugar, and total cholesterol. Also tested was the presence of H. pylori, the bacterium that can cause ulcers or stomach cancer. This was not present in my body. Lucky me!

Overall, I found the tests to be thorough and the written follow-up report to have a ton of useful information. It gives much more explanatory data than you would normally get as simple results from your doctor's office. But there were a few glitches for me. I was almost given another patient's receipt. The check-in person had a lot of work to do all at once and multiple patients to juggle, so I got the wrong handout until I told them so and they found the correct one. Just a reminder to always glance at your paperwork, just in case of simple human error.

Another mistake - my height was mis-measured. I assume the bar wasn't held exactly level with the top of my head. On my report, my height was listed as being one inch shorter than is accurate. At the time, I questioned it in my mind, thinking I had perhaps shrunk a bit with age. So I didn't protest the measurement. But curious, when I got home, I measured myself again with help, and found out I had not shrunk an inch after all. This would not have been a big deal, but body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by your height. So if either of these factors have be inaccurately measured, the BMI doesn't come out right.

I think the HealthFair van is a great idea. I received a lot of useful information: facts I can use or send to my doctor, explanations about what the risk factors and illnesses are, and lots of tips on how to make little changes to help. Get online and see if there are clinics or health van checks like this coming to a location near you. You won't wonder any more if there's something you're missing about your health.