Ruby Valley Health Fair Every Day In April

Spring is here and it’s time for the Ruby Valley Medical

Center’s annual Health Fair! This is an excellent opportunity to get a variety of blood

tests at a significantly reduced cost. Annual blood tests provide early detection for

serious diseases and conditions. The Ruby Valley Medical Center has modified the

testing schedule to facilitate more community participation and there are changes for

some of the testing options.

All April Health Fair!

The 2022 Health Fair will be held every weekday in April! Ruby Valley residents won’t

have to mark a couple days on their calendars as a reminder to get tested. Just circle

the entire month! “By running our Health Fair for the entire month, we are hoping to

reach out to more patients and bring in as many community members as we can,” said

laboratory manager, Laura Belisle. “It’s also easier for our lab to run this program

through April and a benefit for everyone!” The lab will draw blood samples from 7am

until noon. As in the past, no appointment is needed and there is no insurance billing.

Check-in at the Ruby Valley Medical Center’s registration desk. Payment is due at the

time of service and credit cards are accepted. Patients can expect to receive their test

results by mail within two weeks.

Health Fair Test Options

The Ruby Valley Medical Center’s Health Fair will be offering a Basic Metabolic Panel, a

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, a Lipid Panel, TSH, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA),

Complete Blood Count and Hemoglobin A1C. It helps to know what the different blood

tests analyze when deciding which tests are appropriate. Checking with your healthcare

provider about these tests is also recommended. For accurate test results, fasting for 8-

12 hours is recommended prior to Basic Metabolic Panel, the Comprehensive Metabolic

Panel and the Lipid Panel.

Basic Metabolic Panel

This is a combination of tests that evaluates blood sugar, kidney function and

electrolytes. The glucose blood sugar test is used to detect hyperglycemia (high),

hypoglycemia (low) and diabetes. Kidney function is evaluated by the BUN, Creatinine

and eGRF tests and determines how well your kidneys are filtering toxins or waste from

your blood. Sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, and calcium are electrolytes

that are important for muscle, heart, nerve and other organ functions.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

This combination of tests includes all the tests in the Basic Metabolic Panel plus tests

for liver function such as albumin, ALT, AST and Alkaline Phosphatase.

Lipid Panel

The tests in this combination measure various blood fats such as HDL-cholesterol

(good), LDL-cholesterol (bad), total cholesterol and triglycerides which is blood fat made

from fatty acids. These tests help determine the risk of building up fatty deposits in the

arteries which can lead to blockages and coronary artery disease.

TSH

The TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone in the blood which is

an indicator of thyroid disease. Over 5% of Americans have thyroid disease and 60% of

those with thyroid disease are undiagnosed. While most thyroid disease can be treated

with medication, untreated thyroid disease can lead to conditions such as

cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and infertility.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

This test is used to help detect and monitor prostate cancer and other diseases of the

prostate in men. Elevated levels of the PSA can indicate prostate cancer. The American

Cancer Society recommends that men of average risk get baseline tests starting at age

50. African American men and men who have had a close relative diagnosed with

prostate cancer should start baseline testing at age 45.

Complete Blood Count

The Complete Blood Count or CBC tests for the white blood cell, red blood cell and

platelet counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. White blood cells act as defense agents

against infections and cancer. High white blood cell counts can indicate that the body is

fighting an infection or disease and the count is useful in monitoring the progress of the

condition. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and hemoglobin is the

oxygen-carrying protein. Platelets are vital for normal blood clotting. Hematocrit is the

proportion of the red blood cells versus the fluid or plasma component of blood. The

CBC can help identify anemia, bacterial or viral infections, bone marrow disorders,

autoimmune conditions, allergic reactions and nutritional deficiencies.

Hemoglobin A1C

Hemoglobin A1C is the minor component of hemoglobin that is bound to glucose and is

used to diagnose and monitor diabetes.

Please invest a little time in your physical well-being this spring. Whether you’re

checking your kidneys and electrolytes or your prostate and lipids, you’ll feel better

knowing where you stand on your health. Please discuss the testing options with your

healthcare provider or call the Ruby Valley Medical Center at (406) 842-5453, if you

have questions.

About the Ruby Valley Medical Center

The Ruby Valley Medical Center is a critical access hospital and Montana designated

trauma receiving facility serving Sheridan, Twin Bridges, Alder, Laurin, Silver Star,

Virginia City, Nevada City and Waterloo. The Medical Center offers five in-patient beds,

two observation beds, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, physical therapy, occupational

therapy, speech therapy, swing bed, 24 hour emergency care and a highly qualified

nursing staff. Our healthcare providers support patients through the Ruby Valley

Medical Center and the clinics in Sheridan and Twin Bridges. Our clinics offer a wide

range of healthcare services including pediatrics, well-woman exams, sports physicals,

geriatrics, mental health, chiropractic care, non-surgical pain management and tele-

medicine to off-site specialists. Our visiting specialists provide podiatric, surgical,

interventional cardiology and hearing services. The Ruby Valley Medical Center also

provides mobile emergency medical services through Ruby Valley Emergency Medical

Services. The Ruby Valley Medical Center receives financial support from the Ruby

Valley Healthcare Foundation and the Ruby Valley Medical Center Auxiliary.