Research Team Hosts Community Wellness Fairs

Beginning in March and continuing through June, Mecklenburg Area Partnership for Primary Care Research (MAPPR) is hosting Community Wellness Fairs in the Huntingtowne Farms neighborhood of Charlotte.  MAPPR is a Practice Based Research Network designed to study barriers to healthcare access for the underserved and vulnerable populations in Charlotte.  Headquartered at the Department of Family Medicine in Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS),  MAPPR operates under the directorship of Michael Dulin, MD, PhD.

The Community Wellness Fairs serve two purposes – to engage patients in upcoming research projects, and to educate residents of the area about their own health and the resources available to them.  The fairs fall under the Transdisciplinary Approach to Social Determinants of Health study currently being undertaken by MAPPR to determine barriers to health care and social services, and take steps to improve community access and utilization of primary care and preventive services.  

"At the community wellness fairs we have the opportunity to offer  basic health screening and counseling, oftentimes to those with limited access to care," says Associate Director of Research Andrew McWilliams, MD, MPH.  "But perhaps most importantly, we are able to help individuals access existing health and social services."

As a part of the events, local organizations set up booths where they can promote their services and introduce themselves to the community.  Thus far, more than 20 organizations have participated, including affordable housing resource Socialserve.com.

“These fairs have given Socialserve.com a valuable opportunity to spread the word locally about our housing services,” says Socialserve.com Chief of Communications Beth Leysieffer.  “By participating in these events, we were able to share information directly with Charlotte residents as well as make important connections with other members of the supportive continuum.”

In addition to the fairs, research team is working with a group of 12 parents from the neighborhood school to develop a network for them to increase access to information about health and social services and build capacity for them to share the information in their neighborhoods. Recently, CHS Medical Education Health Educator Allison Bickett presented to the parents about stress and how it relates to their physical health.

The fairs are being held the first Saturday of the month at Huntingtowne Farms Elementary School.  Interpreters are available for English/Spanish translation.  If you would like to learn more about the fairs or the parent network, please contact Brisa Hernandez at  Brisa.Hernandez@carolinashealthcare.org or call 704-304-7123.