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Wellness on Wheels, a new program offered by The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, and Mower County Public Health, will visit Grand Meadow on Tuesday, June 25, from 2–5 p.m at Grand Meadow School, located at 710 4th Ave. NE. The event will share vital health information and resources, as well as free health screenings and kits for participants. The event is free and open to the public. 

Participants will have access to: 

• Screenings for: 

○ A1C (blood sugar levels) 

○ Blood pressure 

○ Cholesterol 

○ Anemia 

• Mental health resources 
• Carbon monoxide poisoning information 
• Emergency preparedness information 
• Water/air quality information 
• Extreme temperatures information 
• Lyme disease information 
• Healthy eating resources 
• HIV test kits, prevention information 
• Radon test kits 

Wellness on Wheels is a collaboration between The Hormel Institute and Mower County Public Health to offer free preventative health screenings to rural Mower County communities on a monthly rotating basis. Grants from the Austin Area Foundation and Mower Freeborn Cooperative are helping to support this initiative. 

“For many people, it is hard to find the time or the money to go to the doctor when they are sick, let alone make time for preventative screenings. The NIH has estimated that only 8% of adults in the U.S. undergo routine preventative screenings,” said Clinical Research and Outreach Lead Emily Heath. “We want to eliminate as many barriers as possible for people to get these important screenings.” 

The public is invited to utilize these free services and offer feedback on what other resources they would like to see available to their communities at future events.

“We believe everyone should have access to these services to stay informed about their health and prevent illness in the future. This is only the start and we will keep growing and adding more resources from here. As we grow and learn our community’s needs, we hope to add more services and more opportunities for people to utilize them,” said Heath. 

On July 23, Wellness on Wheels will make its way to Adams. To stay up to date on Wellness on Wheels dates and locations, visit hi.umn.edu/community-events.