Washington, DC – July 21, 2011         The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) announces that its Southeast Local Section is partnering with Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care Services and physician volunteers from Central Presbyterian and North Avenue Presbyterian Churches to hold a free Health Fair on Saturday, July 23 from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  The Health Fair takes place at the Central Presbyterian Church on Washington Street, S.W., across from the State Capitol and will offer ‘while-you-wait’ laboratory testing for glucose, creatinine, HbA1c, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and hemoglobin.  It will also offer limited oral swabs for HIV testing as well as measurement of blood pressure.

David Koch, PhD, 2008 Chair of the Southeast Local Section, and current member of AACC’s Board of Directors commented, “Access to primary care is a major concern in the US.  The Southeast Section wanted to reach out to the Atlanta community during the major Annual Meeting of the AACC and have a more lasting impact.  Events like this Health Fair provide the laboratory tests to the medically underserved population that can identify underlying major health issues.  As part of the Health Fair, patients will be offered counseling on their test results from the volunteers”.  Dr. Koch is Director of Clinical Chemistry at Atlanta’s Emory University/Grady Memorial Hospital.

For more information about the Health Fair or AACC, contact Peter Patterson by email or at either of the above phone numbers.

AACC’s Southeast Local Section represents clinical laboratory professionals in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi and portions of Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana.