On August 23, the YWCA Delaware held its second annual free Community Health Fair at its Family Living Management Center with the theme of “Enjoying Health While Cultivating Healthy Habits”. Dozens of exhibitors provided health, education, and resource services for people of all ages, including the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center of ChristianaCare, the AmeriHealth Caritas Bus, the Delaware Public Health Department, and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.
Dr. Xia Jiachun from Next Move Physical Therapy Center also participated in the health fair. He explained, “We help alleviate patient pain, adjust posture, assist those with strength and balance issues, and individuals who are weakened. We are different from some large companies as we focus on one-on-one face-to-face therapy rather than just having you exercise without anyone watching.”
Dr. Xia opened this therapy center three years ago and currently accepts most healthcare insurances. He mentioned that more and more people in the United States are showing interest in physical therapy because many individuals “do not want surgery”. Dr. Xia stated, “People are really scared, they do not want to take medication. People are facing the problem of opioid painkillers being overused. To reduce medication and surgery, physical therapy is very effective, it is much less invasive and a very conservative treatment that does not cause harm. People are starting to understand that physical therapists can help. We can help them relieve pain, improve their lives without the need for drugs and surgery.”
Shanique Scott, the Community Health Coordinator at YWCA Delaware, said, “As a community health worker, we often work in resource-poor communities where people cannot access or can only access limited community resources, leading to a range of health disparities including poor mental health conditions, poverty, food insecurity, illnesses, care barriers, and mortality. Our goal is to provide health services and education to residents of New Castle County at low or no cost, inspiring them to improve their behaviors and enhance community resilience as a whole.”
Established in 1895, YWCA has nearly 200 branches in the United States, originally named the Young Women’s Christian Association. The mission of YWCA Delaware is to provide everyone with a vision of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity.