Pretty in pink: Phoebe women’s health fair promotes prevention, education

ALBANY — It wasn’t exactly painting the town, but for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s annual women’s health fair, much of Albany State University’s West Campus was awash with vibrant pink balloons, Halloween costumes and even pumpkins Saturday morning.

The health fair, themed “Hear Her Roar,” included health and wellness information, a DJ, flu shots, bags of goodies including fresh vegetables and T-shirts (pink, of course), but it also gave the public a chance to interact with medical professionals in a unique way.

The health fair is held annually in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We want you to see us without the white coats, without the walls and see we are here,” Dr. Dianna Grant, chief medical officer for the Phoebe Putney Health System, said. “Not only are we here, but we have so many of these physicians showing they are of the community, not just in the community.

The exposure at a college campus also may inspire students to consider medical careers, so future oncologists or nurses may be among those who were inspired, Grant said.

“By being here, these young folks can see the future and see the possibilities,” she said. “This is work force development for us as we live and age in this community. I think when the community sees us, the possibility of their remaining in the community remains strong.”

For the second consecutive year, the health fair was held as a drive-through event due to COVID-19. Participants were able to hear information about wellness on their car radios or at home on local radio station V-101.7.

“I’m here, obviously, to be a part of women’s health care, not only to celebrate our ladies but to educate them about health and wellness,” Dr. Jay McAfee, a radiation oncologist and medical director of radiation oncology, said. “As a medical doctor, it’s important to me to stress the importance of screening and preventative health care, whether it’s staying healthy across all fronts of health care, but especially if somebody’s affected by cancer, the healthier the better they’re going to do.”

While outreach to educate the public has paid off, McAfee said he thinks of it as an ongoing process. Some medical conditions also play roles in cancer, as do genetics.

“We live in a part of the country where we struggle with access and we struggle with education,” he said. “I think it’s important to chip away and address that. The big ones are tobacco exposure; there’s a link with poorly treated diabetes, and there’s certainly a link to access to preventative health care.”

For those who do get cancer, McAfee said that Phoebe provides high-quality care from diagnosis to survival.

“When you think about cancer treatment, you think about screening, you think about oncology, chemo and immunotherapy and radiation oncology,” he said. “We have all of that.”