The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) recently hosted its second annual Health and Wellness Expo and Mario Zeolla ’97 5K Walk/Run. The expo is intended to serve underinsured patients by offering a variety of free screenings and health information. We screened for hearing, HIV, diabetes, depression and anxiety, hypertension, oral cancer, asthma, and kidney disease. We also conducted breast cancer risk assessments. In addition to numerous educational booths, other services provided at this campus-wide event included discounted flu vaccines, Medicare Part D enrollment, massages, Reiki therapy, free continuing education events for pharmacists, a medication take-back event, blood drive, nutritionist services, and a farmer’s market. 
 

The event evolved from a small-scale health fair that originally served students beginning in 2004, and took years of development and collaboration for it to culminate into today’s expo that serves that wider community.  
 

The ACPHS Office of Institutional Advancement has supported the health fair since 2007 and continues to be a major source of support, assisting with funding, advertisement, and securing MVP Health Care, a health benefit plan, as a co-sponsor. One of the biggest benefits of MVP’s sponsorship is having access to their community resources. MVP advertises the expo to an extensive network of patients and providers, some of whom serve as vendors at the expo.
 

Outreach to potential vendors began 5 months prior to the expo. Chapter executive board members were responsible for calling businesses and individuals from the local communities and colleges and asking them to provide free services.

 

Getting the word out
Effective advertising was crucial and a professional graphic design company was hired to create the image used for billboards, newspapers, and lawn signs. E-cards and flyers were distributed to almost every pharmacy in the surrounding region. Chapter advisors and members discussed the expo on local television news shows. Local news stations also came to the expo to interview chapter members and show event highlights.

 

An opening kick-off ceremony preceded the 5K race and incorporated an advocacy component into the expo. Last year Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings gave the opening remarks. This year, State Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, who is also a pharmacist and alumnus of ACPHS, led the ceremony. A simple phone call or e-mail to these individuals was all it took for them to participate.

 

The 5K run required much planning, and became a component of the Health and Wellness Expo as another unique means to actively promote healthy living among the community. It was named in honor of Mario Zeolla, PharmD, a beloved professor and chapter advisor who passed away in 2007. All proceeds from the 5K registrations were donated to the Mario Zeolla ‘97 Memorial Scholarship fund. 

 

Show time
The day of the event required a lot of coordination made possible by nearly 100 student, faculty, and staff volunteers, who all wore bright “Know your Medicine Know Your Pharmacist” t-shirts. Chapter executive board members served as team leaders and communicated with each other using walkie-talkies. Volunteers reported to team leaders and served four major areas: the 5K, set up, clean up, and guiding attendees. 

 

Planning an expo with your own chapter may seem daunting, but with effective leadership and teamwork, realistic goals and deadlines, and support from your college, it is certainly achievable. Nearly 1,000 people participated in this year’s expo, which was a great improvement from the 600 participants who attended last year’s event. The end result of all the hard work is a rewarding event that brings positive change to your community.