Health & Wellness Expo brings together area providers

Sep. 30--MOSES LAKE -- The annual Health and Wellness Expo brought together area health care providers and other public health initiatives on Saturday.

The expo, which took place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ATEC building at Big Bend Community College, was sponsored by the Columbia Basin Herald. Other sponsors included: Samaritan Healthcare, Confluence Health, the Health Alliance Insurance Group, and Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata.

The expo featured rows of booths for various companies and agencies, from health care and insurance providers to exercise and home healthcare businesses. In addition to health care and wellness booths set up, a number of vendors from various businesses were also in attendance. Yoga and Zumba demonstrations also took place, provided by local instructors, while the Teddy Bear Clinic was once again a highlight for parents with children.

Gregg Fletcher, the vice president of the Moses Lake Clinic, said that Confluence Health has been a main sponsor of the event for at least the last five years. Fletcher said the expo helps to showcase the health care in Grant County.

"It's nice to be a leader in health care in Grant County and show off our services, and just show what we're able to provide, not only in Grant County, but Chelan and Douglas County as well," Fletcher said. "It's just nice to be a part of the health care community around here."

Fletcher said they typically try and focus on showcasing different departments and services when they set up each year.

"We generally focus on either new services or services we're trying to promote within our clinic," Fletcher said. "Sometimes we have new providers, or, like this year, we have a new physical therapy building."

In addition to the health care booths set up, a number of vendors attended the expo as well.

Edd Preciado is the owner of Hers & His Home in Ephrata. The Ephrata business owner said he felt the number of bath bombs, lotions, and soaps they provide were wellness products the attendees would be interested in, while also introducing people the other products they provide in their store.

"It's just getting our name out there because we're a new business and we want people to know that we're there," Preciado said.

The business having been around for about two years, Preciado said this was their first time setting up a pop-up booth anywhere.

"We figured we'd try it out and see if it's something that works, and see if it's something we might possibly want to do," Preciado said.

Clark Dalton, the rehab director for Columbia Basin Hospital, said the hospital has been a sponsor ever since the expo began. Dalton said this is his first year participating in the expo, and said they are focusing on highlighting the diversity of services provided at the hospital in Ephrata.

In their booth, Columbia Basin Hospital professionals were checking grip strength for people passing by, and offering recommendations of therapies if their grip came back as weak.

"We have the full range of therapy services," Dalton said. "We have a lot of services for kids in pediatrics and the clinic, the Columbia Basin Family Medicine. For a small town, we offer a lot of support and interventions that you wouldn't expect to find."

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