Albany Area Primary Health Care set for drive-thru health fair

ALBANY — Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) will host its seventh annual Community Resource & Health Fair on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Exchange Club Fairgrounds in Albany. This year, however, the event will look a little different due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

“We’ve had to adjust our annual Health Fair this year,” Joycelyn Yates, chief quality officer at AAPHC, said. “With some creative thinking and planning, we were able to create a drive-thru health fair for our community members. Attendees will receive their free health screenings, flu shots and more from the comfort – and safety – of their vehicle.”

Attendees are encouraged wear face masks in their cars as they drive through the entire event. All Health Fair volunteers will be wearing their face coverings and protective equipment to keep all attendees safe as well.

The 2020 AAPHC Community Resource & Health Fair will include free health screenings, free flu shots, voter registration, prizes, giveaways and much more. The event is free and open to the public.

“We welcome all of our community members from across southwest Georgia,” Yates said.

Vital screenings will be part of the health fair.

“AAPHC will have a number of free health screenings available, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, as well as free HIV screenings,” Brandy Church, an AAPHC spokeswoman, said. “The Health Department will also be on-site to provide free flu shots for all attendees.”

With COVID-19 still spreading within the community, AAPHC is launching a community awareness campaign focusing on the importance of flu shots.

“It’s critical that our community members get their annual flu shots as soon as possible,” Yates said. “By getting your flu shot, you ensure you have the most protection for the upcoming flu season.”

AAPHC providers say they hope to see flu shot rates improve across the region, especially to avoid a possible COVID-influenza double pandemic this fall.

“We want to avoid having major flu and COVID outbreaks hitting our community all at once,” Yates said. “The AAPHC Health Fair is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of the free flu shots.”

Albany Area Primary Health Care opened in 1979 to provide primary care services to the southwest Georgia community. Forty years and 28 locations later, AAPHC is proud to offer a wide array of services to meet the needs of the communities it serves. AAPHC is one of the largest medical groups in southwest Georgia and one of the state’s largest Community Health Centers. The Community Resource & Health Fair is just one of the major health care events that the group hosts each year for its patients and community members.

“Our AAPHC providers and staff members are incredibly dedicated to providing high-quality health care to residents across eight counties in southwest Georgia,” Church said. “We hope our residents will join us for the drive-thru health fair on Saturday to receive their free health screenings, their flu shot and also learn more about AAPHC.”

“Bring your family and come on out to the Fairgrounds this Saturday,” Yates said. “Our team will be so happy to see you.”

AAPHC provides care in the specialties of internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, podiatry, general dentistry, vision care and behavioral health. AAPHC medical offices are open to the general public, adults and children, regardless of residence, income or insurance coverage. AAPHC officials say the organixation strives to provide comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous care to all who access its services.

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