After 25-plus years, the Noon Rotary Club’s annual blood screening event runs like a well-oiled machine.
The Rotary volunteers know how to get people organized, and the Essentia Health-St. Mary’s and Sanford Health workers know how to get people in and out in a timely manner.
“We are so fortunate the medical community supports this - both clinics help,” Adrienne Buboltz said. “It’s a lot of work to pull this off.”
Buboltz has been helping organize the blood screening for the last 10 years for Rotary.
“It has become well established,” Dr. Bill Henke said. “People look forward to it.”
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This is the 26th year of the Rotary Blood Screening event, and it has grown to include nine different tests - cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, glucose, creatinine, hemoglobin, white blood count and liver.
It is a good tool for preventative care, Henke said, not to mention a more economical way to get all these tests run for one small price.
Cost is $35 per person.
Those who take part in the blood screening receive a three-page summary of their results a week after the blood is drawn. The results can be sent to the person’s clinic also, if they elect to have that done.
“It’s nice to have that reference to look back at,” Buboltz said of holding on to past results.
Henke said that getting the testing done can give people direction on if they have risk factors for diseases. For example, if their test results come back with high blood sugar, maybe they are looking at diabetes - or should at least talk to their doctor about the possibility. Results could lead to more follow-up tests if needed.
“It inspires people to reflect back” on their family history as well, he added.
Buboltz added that some diseases can be silent too, and someone wouldn’t know anything was wrong until their blood was tested and they found something in the results.
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While the success of the blood screening can be seen in the numbers - they see about 2,200 people in five days reaching from Fargo to Wahpeton to Perham - Henke said there’s also that “herd mentality” of everyone is getting checked so we better too.
There are 80 Rotarians helping herd those coming in to get their blood drawn, and it’s a source of pride for the group. This is Noon Rotary’s largest fundraiser each year, and they plan to keep it a success.
This year, the screening is Sept. 14-18 from 7 to 10 a.m. each day in Essentia Health.
“The line looks threatening, but there are 10 drawers so it goes pretty quickly,” Buboltz said.
“They’ve got it down to a science,” Henke added.
Anyone can come at any time during that period, but restrict food and drink for 9-12 hours before having blood drawn. Coffee, juice and muffins will be provided after blood is drawn.
Money raised from the blood screening “goes right back into the community” through scholarships, many who go into the medical field, Henke said of the recipients. The average return on the blood screening is $20,000.
