The Health Wagon’s mission is to provide compassionate, quality health care to the medically underserved people in the Mountains of Appalachia. Our values are inclusiveness, community outreach, collaboration, spirituality and empowerment.
Let us tell you The Health Wagon story. Our average patient is 38 years old. Ninety-eight percent of our patients are uninsured. Seventy percent of them have an income of less than $20,000 annually, despite working multiple jobs. This means they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance. Our patients live in desperately poverty-stricken rural Appalachia, where they can’t afford to go to the doctor but can’t afford not to. The mobility of our health clinic means we are able to fill the gap, whether they are inline at the food bank or at their job, we bring healthcare to them.

Lee Co RAM September 12-13 at the Jonesville Airport FREE dental, vision, and medical

Free dental includes: cleanings, fillings, extractions
Free vision includes: eye exams, glaucoma testing, diabetic retinopathy screenings and glasses prescriptions
Free medical includes: specialists exams, ekgs, osteopathic manipulations, diabetes screenings/education, bone density tests, blood work, cholesterol tests, breathing tests, check x rays, pap smears, GYN specialty exams, breast exams, medical assistance, skin biopsies and surgeries, cancer screenings, etc.
No appointments or early registration available

Please call 276-328-8850 for more information.

A gentleman presented to the Health Wagon as a new patient. He had previously been going to another facility and his former provider had retired. The patient had lost insurance over five years ago; however, he had been able to remain with the former provider for his primary needs. Due to costs of laboratory services, the patient was not ordered any routine and maintenance lab work during that 5 year window. Upon entering the Health Wagon, all routine labs were performed, and it was found that the patient’s current diabetes medications had not been effective in treating his conditions. The medications were discontinued and a new regimen of insulin was started. The patient’s daily blood glucose checks have started to lower as a result. This gentleman is one of many who is apart of our comprehensive diabetic program and receives routine diabetic testing, counseling, diagnostics studies, etc. free of charge.

Cholesterol Levels

Everyone age 20 and older should have his or her cholesterol measured at least once every five years.
LDL (bad) cholesterol–the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries
• HDL (good) cholesterol–HDL helps remove cholesterol from arteries
• Triglycerides–another form of fat in the blood that can raise risks for heart disease

Risk Factors:
• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher or on blood pressure medication)
• Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL)
• Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65)
• Age (men 45 years or older; women 55 years or older)

What Affects Cholesterol Levels?
• Diet- Saturated fat and cholesterol in food can make the blood cholesterol level rise.
• Weight- Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. Losing weight can help lower LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise HDL and lower triglyceride levels.
• Physical Activity- Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
• Age and Gender- As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise.
• Heredity- Genes partly determine how much cholesterol the body makes.

Ways of Lowering Cholesterol Using Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes

• Weight Management- Losing weight if you are overweight can help lower LDL and is important for those with a cluster of risk factors that includes high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and being overweight.
• Physical Activity- Regular physical activity (30 minutes daily) is recommended for everyone.
o Drug Treatment. Statin- which block the liver from making cholesterol, Bile acid sequestrants-which decrease the amount of fat absorbed from food, Cholesterol absorption inhibitors- which decrease the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food and lower triglycerides, and Vitamins and supplements—Niacin, which blocks the liver from removing HDL and lowers triglycerides, and omega-3 fatty acids, which increase the level of HDL and lowers triglycerides.

For more information please visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg6-7.html