Blood tests at a discount during month of March

Wrangell Medical Center’s annual health fair is coming up, with a month of discounted blood tests available at the hospital in the month leading up.

Starting back on Monday, five of the tests the hospital’s laboratory administers have been reduced in cost ahead of April 7’s fair. The screenings include a coronary risk profile, which measures blood and cholesterol counts. The screening for hemoglobin A1C can be helpful for diagnosing pre diabetic conditions, and is useful for monitoring the long-term care of persons already with diabetes. Two screenings gauge thyroid function and vitamin D levels, while the last is for prostatic specific antigen.

The PSA screening is aimed at assessing the prostate, which is an elevated source of disease among men. The screening is to accompany a separate digital rectal exam, and together they can help identify prostate cancer. Not all elevated PSA readings mean cancer is present – about two-thirds of men with elevated readings will not have it – though consulting a urologist is recommended in that instance. The American Cancer Society recommends the exam for men ages 50 and older, and for men as young as 40 who fall into high-risk groups. The results may be helpful, though it is noted that while 30 percent of men over 50 have cancer cells present in their prostate the majority will never have symptoms or problems as a result, dying instead of an unrelated issue.

Discounted tests can be done at the hospital during weekday operating hours through the end of March, with results available for pickup at the April 7 health fair. An exception to this is a holiday closure on March 26, and early laboratory hours beginning at 7 a.m. for March 14.

Due to reduced lab staffing, special blood draw times have been scaled back compared to previous years. To avoid lengthy wait times, patients wanting blood drawn should plan to stop by earlier rather than later in the month. The last week can get pretty hectic, and the month long drive last year drew 480 patients taking 1,600 different tests.

The health fair itself will be held at the Nolan Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and as with past years will feature booths and informational tables from a wide variety of health- and wellness-related organizations.