Barber County Health Department Monthly Schedule
Tuesday am -Wic Clinic/or by appointment
Tuesday pm- Footcare
Every 2nd week on Monday Footcare in Kiowa
Family Planning Clinic- once a month (day varies)
Covid vaccine offered by appointment
Allergy Clinic offered by appointment
Presumptive Eligibility for KanCare- by appointment only
Immunizations by appointment only
Pre-school and kindergarten physicals
Flu shot Clinic -starting each Oct.

MEETING: All Veterans Organization will meet the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Legion Hall.

COMMUNITY CARRY-IN DINNER for seniors age 50 and over at Isabel Senior Center. Every third Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Come join us.

NOTICE: To obtain a burn permit in Medicine Lodge, go to the City Office before burning. There is no charge and it is good for 30 days. Also, please remember to call the Sheriff’s Office and let them know the address.

Notice to citizens of Medicine Lodge: Concerning the legal use of golf carts and ATVs (sometimes called side by sides) on city streets: ONLY licensed adults may operate these vehicles, when the vehicle is properly insured and has the appropriate license plate registered with the city.

MEETINGS: Sharon Fellowship Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Tuesday evenings 7pm at the Senior Center in the People's Bank building 106 Broadway St Sharon, KS 67138. Contact Randy C 620-930-8207.

NOTICE: Help and hope for family and friends of alcoholics. Join us at Al-Anon (adults) at 7 and Alateen (youth) at 6 in the basement of the Kiowa St. John’s Catholic Church rectory (house on corner of Main and 10th). For questions or possible transportation, please call (620) 899-3268 or email kiowaafg@gmail.com

NOTICE: If your house is within the ML city limits and needs a new 9-1-1 number, please contact the Stampede 4-H Club for a FREE set! Our club is providing free house numbers as a community service for emergency preparedness. Hardware is provided, and you can attach them or we can. Give us a call at 620-886-2244.
 

Barber County Health Fair to
be held Friday, March 28, 2025
By Tammy McCain Lonker
The Gyp Hill Premiere
The Barber County Health Department Health Fair will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025 from 6am-11am at the Barber County Annex, which is located at 211 E. Kansas in Medicine Lodge. The fair will offer a variety of free tests and checks, as well as, lab work for a reduced rate. Vendors will also be in attendance with information, giveaways and drawings for items.
Those who are planning to have bloodwork done will need to be fasting. Available tests include: complete metabolic panel + lipid + CBC without differential $30 (in house), hemoglobin A1c $15 (in house), PSA (prostate-specific antigen) $10 (in house), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) $10 (in house), T4 free $10 (in house), Free T3 $15, Vitamin D OH25 $10, magnesium $10 (in house) and testosterone $10. Labs will be drawn by BCHD employees and be sponsored by Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital this year. Cash and checks will be the only method of payment accepted. Insurance will not be filed. Lab results should be available the week following the fair.
A new service that will be offered is a test for lead in the bloodstream. “The health department got a grant and got a blood lead machine,” BCHD Administrator/Health Officer Dawn Jones said.
Lead testing is important for those who live and work in old homes and/or buildings. It is WIC and CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) approved. It will consist of a fingerprint blood test. “We have a machine that tests it, so we get the result right away,” Jones stated. “They find out how high their levels of lead are in their blood. We send it to their primary care physician, and then they'll decide what they're going to do with that. We have to report that to KDHE.”
There will also be free blood pressure checks during the Health Fair.
Vendors and other health and emergency departments who have committed to be in attendance at the Health Fair as of press date are: Medicine Lodge Police Department, Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging from Dodge City, South Central DME Home Medical Supply, MLMH, Horizons Mental Health out of Hutchinson, Family Crisis Center out of Great Bend, Medicine Lodge Housing Authority, Early Detection Works, Hearing Life out of Pratt, United Way out of Wichita, Marketplace Insurance Navigator from Barber County United, Mike Loreg with Barber County Emergency Managment, Kansas Gas and Midwest Pain Relief out of Milton, Kansas.
BCHD will be giving away an O2 stat meter and a LifeVac, which is a choking rescue device. “There's three easy steps,” Jones said. “Anybody can do it.”
Citizens of Barber County are encouraged to attend. “Hosting labs at a health fair is a great way to promote public health, provide early detection of diseases, and engage the community in proactive healthcare,” Jones stated.
(Announcement: BCHD has received a number of calls about tuberculosis, as a rumor was going around that there was an active case in the southern part of Barber County. According to the department, that rumor is unfounded.)