You should not have to travel far or wait weeks to know how your health is doing. At the Lealman Exchange, you do not have to.
Our free health kiosk, powered by Higi and supported by BayCare, gives neighbors a quick and private way to check in on their health without an appointment, without insurance and without a copay. In March, 26 neighbors used the kiosk — an 86 percent increase over the month before.
Over the past year, the kiosk has logged 189 total sessions. People have used it to check blood pressure, monitor weight and screen for diabetes risk. Of the neighbors who used it in March, nearly all completed a blood pressure reading. What those results showed is worth paying attention to. About 40 percent of users were in the Stage 1 or Stage 2 hypertensive range, and nearly a third fell into the at-risk category. Only 20 percent recorded a normal reading.
Those numbers are not meant to alarm anyone. They are a reminder that conditions like high blood pressure often have no symptoms. Many people do not know where they stand until they check.
The kiosk takes just a few minutes. It is available during regular Lealman Exchange hours at no cost to you. If it has been a while since you checked your blood pressure or tracked your weight, stop by. It is a small step that can lead to bigger ones.
The Lealman Exchange is located at 5175 45th Street North, in the heart of Lealman.
