Community Wellness Event Connects UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center Neighbors with Free Health and Employment Resources

More than 400 community members across Anne Arundel County and the surrounding areas connected with neighbors and local health services during the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center's (UM BWMC's) Fall Community Wellness Day at the Severn Center earlier this month. The free event was made possible thanks to volunteers from UM BWMC and local organizations working together to increase the health and wellness of the community. UM BWMC is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

Participants from across the county and surrounding areas attended the event and interacted with vendors offering free health screenings, educational demonstrations and family-centered activities coordinated by UM BWMC, the Severn Center and community volunteers. More than 150 free produce boxes were distributed to attendees in addition to a free lunch. Volunteers from 14 UM BWMC clinical departments were onsite to answer health questions, share resources and administer flu vaccinations to adults and children ages 3 years and older. Other community vendors were on hand to offer testing for blood pressure levels, A1C, body composition, and vision as well as resources about social and wellness services.

"We're grateful to host our annual fall health fair at the Severn Center, a place known for bringing people together and making connections," said Kathy McCollum, President and CEO of UM BWMC. "Thanks to the community's support and the hard work of our team members and volunteers, we're able to share important health services such as diabetes care management and urgent care offerings with individuals who may need them."

COVID-19 self-test kits and first aid supplies were some of the items available to participants. Re-useable shopping bags filled with information on nutrition, diabetes care management, women's health, child development, heart and vascular health, mental health, smoking cessation and lung cancer screenings were handed to everyone who registered and attended for the event. Representatives from the hospital's Human Resources department were available to discuss current employment and volunteer opportunities with interested individuals.

UM BWMC hosts several free community events throughout the year, including a seasonal produce market offering discounted fruits and vegetables located at UM BWMC's campus in addition to free exercise classes and health programs. The Community Outreach team offers Safe at Home and Safe Sitter classes for children, where instructors teach kids safety tips for when they are home alone and for when they are watching another child. To learn more about these community events and programs, visit umbwmc.org/calendar.

About the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center

The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) is a 306-bed medical center committed to improving the health outcomes of the communities it serves. A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), UM BWMC is located in Glen Burnie (Anne Arundel County) and has more than 3,100 team members and 1,200 medical providers on staff. The medical group provides primary and specialty care services to individuals throughout the region. Together with community providers and faculty from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, UM BWMC offers a wide range of clinical programs including cancer, critical care, emergency, heart, lung, neurosciences, orthopedics, pediatric, primary care, vascular, and women's health. For more information, visit umbwmc.org

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state's future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System's anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.