Mobile Health Coach in Holiday Parade
November 14, 2012
Jackson, Mich. — In lieu of a traditional float, Allegiance Health will be featuring its Mobile Health Coach in Jackson’s downtown holiday parade this Friday, November 16. This innovative, moving facility supports Allegiance Health’s mission to lead our community to better health and well-being at every stage of life by increasing access to important health screens for Jackson residents.
The Allegiance Mobile Health Coach is staffed by skilled, caring professionals who provide both men and women with bone density screens to detect osteoporosis, as well as digital mammography for women age 40 and above.
A bone density screen determines if a patient has osteoporosis—a disease that can impact both men and women by causing bones to become more fragile and more likely to break.
A bone density screen uses X-rays to measure how much calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a section of bone. The bones that are most commonly tested are located in the spine, hip and forearm. The higher the bone mineral content, the denser the bones are. The denser the bones, the stronger they generally are and the less likely they are to break.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a bone density test for individuals who are over age 50 with a history of a broken bone. Men older than 70 and women who are age 65 or over, postmenopausal or recently stopped hormone therapy should also be tested.
State-of-the-art digital mammography is also available in this private, convenient and comfortable setting. Digital mammography looks and feels similar to conventional mammography, but it provides physicians with clear, digital images of the breast, rather than images on film.
This technology allows radiologists to adjust contrast and zoom in on suspicious areas. And digital mammograms can be quickly and efficiently stored on a computer and electronically sent to physician offices.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year for as long as they are in good health. Following this guideline improves the chances of early diagnosis and successful treatment.
The well-equipped Mobile Health Coach makes scheduled visits to the communities of:
- Albion
- Brooklyn
- Grass Lake
- Leslie
- Mason
- Onsted
- Vandercook Lake
- As well as the Center for Family Health near downtown Jackson
To learn when the Mobile Health Coach will be in the area and to schedule an appointment, community members are welcome to call (517) 788-4905.