Better Health in focus, as American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine hosts Community Action Day 2023

The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) will host its annual Community Action Day on Saturday, March 25 th , partnering with a variety of community based outreach organisations to deliver health services to a wide cross section of St. Maarten’s most vulnerable citizens including children and the elderly.
The focus at the Larmanie Community Center from 10 AM to 3 PM, will be NCD (non-communicable disease) prevention, as Senior Citizens from the CPS, Home Away Program benefit from diabetes knowledge sessions, health screenings and physical exercise activities designed to help prevent common non-communicable diseases.
Media representatives and journalists are invited to be at the Larmanie Community Centre, from 11:00 AM to 12 PM on March 25 th , where Associate Professor of Psychology and AUC Assistant Dean of Community Engagement, Dr. Natalie Humphrey, Ph.D. will be prepared to engage them in discussion and take questions.
Please reply to our Media Contact via email to confirm your attendance.
NCD prevention will again feature members of the Hope Estate 7th Day Adventist Bible Church benefit from Project HELP health screenings, from 9AM to 1 PM at the Hope Estate 7th Day Adventist Bible Church.
Over at the New Light Baptist Church from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., AUC experts will deliver heart health talks to a parent group focusing on how to take their blood pressure and monitor their heart health.
Other health related activities are as follows:
o The Positive Foundation will be offering women free health and breast abnormalities screening at the Vineyard Building, from 9AM to 1 PM.
o Information about diabetes and hypertension treatment will be provided to church members who speak Hatian Kreole, taking place at the Faith Baptist Church, from 11AM to 12 PM.
o A Rhamadan Give Back to Children event will see children learning about Rhamadan and Health at the St. Maarten Islamic Center, from 11 AM to 2 PM.
o Sports and health will combine as United Flames’ Fun, Fitness, and First Aid for Soccer Players programme teaches children about joint health and exercises to prevent injuries, taking place at the Emilio Sports Corner from 3 PM to 7 PM.

Activities on location at AUC Campus will be:
 Pediatric Dental Screening for children who will receive free dental screenings and education about dental health from the SXM Dental Association, between 9 AM and 12 PM
 At Planting Seeds with Mental Health Foundation Clients, patients receiving psychiatric treatment will do a planting and self-soothing activity in association with the Mental Health
Foundation, at the AUC Gazeebos, from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
 Children will learn about careers in medicine and experience a surgery simulation, at a Surgery and Anatomy Activity with the Ujima Adolescent Center from12:30 PM to 2 PM.
Ujima Adolescent Center will also conduct a Health and Hygiene Workshop for children, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM.

Community Action Day will also see two coastal cleanups taking place as follows:
 Certified divers from Dive Adventures and Scuba Club will remove hurricane debris from the ocean floor in Simpson Bay, between12 PM and 4 PM.
 The Nature Foundation will be removing trash from Mullet Bay Beach, from 7 AM to 9 AM.