Photo Provided The Bridgeport Exempted Village School District will host a health fair Wednesday. The health fair had been set for the first week of April, but it was rescheduled due to flooding. Organized by the Belmont County NAACP, Wheeling Health Right and the Belmont County Health Department, there will be free screenings and information available to the public.

BRIDGEPORT — Free screenings and resources for people with health questions will be available when the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District hosts a health fair from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The health fair was originally set for the first week of April but had to be rescheduled due to severe rain and flooding.

Belmont County NAACP member Jerry Moore Sr. organized the event with community partners including Wheeling Health Right and the Belmont County Health Department. Moore said there will be a wealth of services.

“We’re going to have over 30 vendors there,” he said, adding that the health fair is free and open to everyone.

Moore said this follows a health fair held last September in Bellaire.

“We’re going to try to make it an annual thing,” he said, noting that last year’s health fair was well attended and he hopes for 100 or more people to turn out.

“If you’re from the area or not, anybody will be welcome to come attend, join. It’s a community event.”

Moore, who served as a member of the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District Board of Education for 34 years, said Superintendent Brent Ripley was very welcoming of the prospect.

“We’re happy to work with Bridgeport schools on this,” he said. “(Ripley) didn’t hesitate. He said anything for the community.”

Ripley said the district was happy to offer space.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to host this event for the NAACP. The work that the NAACP does for all people in Belmont County is truly appreciated, and we are looking forward to continued opportunities for the students, school district and community,” he said in an email.

Moore said the goal is to bring information where it can be of the most help.

“Some people have probably been kicked off of some of their benefits last year, this year. There’ve been changes in Medicaid and Medicare. But for the most part, I want people to know what’s out there in this area, because there’s other things out there healthcare-wise,” Moore said. “There’s other services. There’ll be some physical therapists there. There’ll be some insurance options. Everything we could think of that would take care of wellness.

“This is what needs to be done. When you talk to a lot of people in regards to health care, a lot of people don’t know that there’s many options out there for you,” he said. “Putting on a health fair is a way to let everyone in the community of Belmont County and the surrounding areas know that these services are available.”

Moore added that Wheeling Health Right provides services to people on both sides of the Ohio River. These include a full dental facility at 61 29th St., Wheeling.

“After 30 years, some people still don’t know that Wheeling Health Right is there and all the services you can get there,” he said. “We give everybody the same equal opportunity to take care of their wellness and their health.”

Vendors will include the Belmont County Veterans Service Office, the Arc of Ohio, CareSource insurance, Diamond Pharmacy, Head Start, Easter Seals, Lifeline of Ohio, the Seeing Hand Association offering glaucoma testing, the Tri-County Help Center, Trinity Health Systems, Rolling Hills Rehabilitation Center, Valley Hospice and The Village Network.

“We’ve tried to cover the full spectrum of health and wellness from mental health to your physical health,” Moore said. “If you want to ask the NAACP questions, we’ll have a membership table.”

Sha Nay Nay’s Pizza in Bridgeport and Generations Restaurant in Wheeling will provide food.

Vicky Filtz, care coordinator with OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), will also be offering information. OhioRISE is a specialized Ohio Medicaid managed care program for children and youth with complex behavioral health and multisystem needs. The program operates through the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, active in Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

The school district complex is located at 55781 National Road.

For more information, call Moore at 740-827-5520 or email jerrymoore9545@gmail.com.