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The Big Health Event is Coming to Shreveport
Shreveport, LA. - Ochsner LSU Health and the Urban League of Louisiana are proud to announce the Big Health Event, a no-cost event prioritizing health and well-being for the entire family, is coming soon to Shreveport. The Big Health Event is open to the public and will be held at the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St. on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Big Health Event is being held by the Urban League of Louisiana with presenting sponsor Ochsner LSU Health to improve healthcare access and promote better health outcomes for communities in Shreveport-Bossier and across Louisiana.
The one-day celebration of health, wellness and community will include health screenings and education, movement and fitness instruction, culinary demonstrations, expert panels, back-to-school giveaways and children’s zones with STEM adventures.
Free parking will be available for attendees. SporTran will also provide free bus rides to the Big Health Event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, from the main terminal at 1237 Murphy St.
“I’m proud that Shreveport is the third Louisiana city to welcome this comprehensive event focusing on health and education opportunities,” said David Callecod, chief executive officer of Ochsner LSU Health. “Ochsner LSU Health is committed to improving health outcomes and access for families in our region. Along with partners like the Urban League of Louisiana, the Big Health Event is a step to creating a better quality of life for our friends, families, and neighbors.”
One of the Urban League of Louisiana’s top priorities is to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, neighborhood, or financial status, has fair and equal access to health and wellness programs and opportunities. Research and data show that health disparities negatively impact African Americans and other people of color in Louisiana.
“We are proud to bring the Big Health Event to the Shreveport community,” said Judy Reese Morse, President & CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana. “The Urban League is committed to improving health outcomes for communities across the state. Part of our mission is to make education, information and healthcare more accessible, and we are excited to share this program with North Louisiana. We are asking the community to bet on themselves and future generations by focusing on the health and wellness of their families.”
The Big Health Event will include:
Health screenings - blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes/glucose, cognitive testing, lung capacity, vision, weight, BMI (body mass index) assessment, mammogram, dental, PSA - prostate-specific antigen for prostate cancer, STD, HPV, scoliosis, colon cancer, oral and skin cancer, pediatric motor development
Back-to-school giveaways
Candid conversations
Healthy culinary demonstrations by top Shreveport chefs
A movement zone with personal trainers and exercise instruction
Sports and STEM activities in the Ochsner LSU Health Children’s Zone
Health information and resources for the entire family at every stage of life
The Big Health Event is part of a collective Healthy State initiative, a bold plan to help every person in Louisiana achieve better health. Ochsner Health is teaming up with dozens of partnering organizations, including the Urban League of Louisiana to create a healthier state.
By working together, partners in healthcare, community, education and policy organizations from across the state are addressing chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, raising awareness of social drivers of health, and providing innovative solutions.
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About Ochsner LSU Health
The Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana (Ochsner LSU Health) is a partnership between Ochsner Health, the largest health system in the state of Louisiana, and LSU Health Shreveport, which includes the Schools of Medicine, Allied Health Professions and Graduate Studies and a robust research enterprise. Ochsner LSU Health provides healthcare to more than 165,000 patients across North Louisiana. With numerous convenient locations, Ochsner LSU Health includes multiple outpatient facilities, clinics, three acute care hospitals — including North Louisiana’s only Level I Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center at its acute care hospital and a newly renovated hospital with women's and children's services in Shreveport, La. and an acute care hospital in Monroe, La designated as a Level III Trauma Center — as well as Louisiana Behavioral Health, providing inpatient and intensive outpatient mental health services in partnership with Oceans Healthcare. The system has more than 4,200 employees that work alongside the Ochsner LSU Health Physician Group of 950 physicians and residents in more than 65 specialties and subspecialties.
About the Urban League of Louisiana
Urban League of Louisiana’s mission is to build a Louisiana where Black and other people of the global majority have economic self-reliance, generational wealth, civil rights, and equitable representation. Using a holistic, family-centered approach, we implement our mission through four strategies – programs, policy and advocacy, narrative change, and events and convenings to impact change. To learn more, visit www.urbanleaguela.org.
