Early Detection Saves Lives

When I stepped onto the bright blue St. Dominic Care-a-Van, the staff’s smiling faces immediately put me at ease and made me feel welcomed. Moving to the back of the bus, I heard the nurses kindly explain the different procedures to some slightly nervous summer campers. “I’m going to put the sleeve on your arm, and it’ll give your arm a big hug,“ said Care-a-Van director Sonya Walker during a blood pressure check.

Among all the summer camp activities like zip lining, skating and bowling, our kids are afforded the opportunity to participate in vital health screenings through our partnership with different healthcare providers like St. Dominic’s.

Throughout the 42-foot-long mobile health screening bus, Operation Shoestring’s kids received screenings for their eyes, weight, height and blood pressure. Starting in 1987, the St. Dominic Care-a-Van has served thousands each year with blood pressure, body mass index, hearing, vision, height, weight, glucose and cholesterol checks.

For years, the Care-a-Van has been a fixture on our summer camp schedule. These health screenings are important to the well-being of the children we serve. Not only is it beneficial to their physical health but also to their academic development. According to the Georgetown University Health and Policy Institute, research continues to demonstrate the importance of health screenings to detect and intervene early on health barriers to learning.

We applaud St. Dominic and all our community partners whose mission is to ensure children and families are healthy and educated about health. In areas where there is the greatest need, these health screenings can be life-changing and life-saving.