HERSHEY, Pa. — Students and faculty at Penn State College of Medicine across multiple disciplines provided hundreds of health screenings and education over three days at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days. The event hosts educational activities and showcases the latest technology in farming, targeted toward the farming community.
Participants from the College of Medicine and Penn State College of Nursing included experts from general internal medicine, dermatology, urology, family and community medicine, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Penn State Cancer Institute. Among the services provided to hundreds of Ag Progress Days visitors were:
- Blood pressure, blood sugar, colorectal and hepatitis C screenings
- Health maintenance screenings
- "Stop the Bleed" trainings, as well as providing "Stop the Bleed" kits
- Firearm safety education and gun lock giveaways
- Skin cancer screenings and sun safety education
- First aid kit giveaways
Medical students, nursing students and faculty also provided tours of the College of Medicine’s LION Mobile Clinic and provided general health information.
“Farming and agriculture work is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States, and we know many farmers face significant health disparities, including access to quality health care,” said Dr. Michael McShane, assistant professor of medicine at the College of Medicine. “It’s important for us to connect with them where they are and provide these important, potentially life-saving services.”
Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, held annually for three days in August, is Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exhibition. The exhibition features nearly 500 commercial and educational exhibitors from the United States and Canada. The event attracts up to 45,000 visitors each year to learn about the science and business of agriculture.