HGM Community Development Corp. in Mansfield was the place to be Friday morning as droves of DeSoto Parish residents turned out for a new venture aimed at improving their health. The Martin Luther King Health Center & Pharmacy in Shreveport, aided by a grant from BHP, has launched its HEART wellness program for its neighbors to the south. “The heart program is a comprehensive, health awareness, health screening health education program for DeSoto Parish. We’re partnering with local partners here like the DeSoto Regional Health System and some partners we also bring with us from the Shreveport area. It is funded through a grant through BHP. We’re grateful for the funding to do this three-year project so we’ll be in DeSoto Parish for quite a while and hope to get to know everybody here so we’re real excited about it,” said Janet Mentesane, MLK Health Center executive director. The grant also includes Red River Parish. A similar kick-off event will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at CHRISTUS Coushatta. Health screenings will run from 4 to 7 p.m. The HEART wellness program is free and designed to offer services to help people prevent or manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. HGM Community Development Corp., which already houses a parish food bank, will be the site for the monthly wellness events in DeSoto Parish. “At DeSoto Regional, obviously our goal is as well to improve the health of the residents of DeSoto Parish. We’ve been partners with the MLK Center for some time on the mammogram program. But this just enhances the things that can be offered for the residents of DeSoto Parish to improve health, to do coordinated care, to do education, to do all the things that folks need in order to improve their health and their longevity and to really enjoy the quality of life that we have here in DeSoto Parish,” said Todd Eppler, CEO of DeSoto Regional Health System. Health services offered Friday included wellness and cancer screening, mammograms and blood pressure checks. Fresh produce also was handed out to those wanting it. Representing the MLK Health Center were board president Chris Ciocchetti, community engagement coordinator Essence Smith, founder Dr. Robert Jackson and volunteer and MLK board member Dennis Wissing. Also on hand were Bruce Wilson of the United Way of Northwest Louisiana, Clint Poche of BHP, Shreveport Green volunteers, Betty Johnson with St. Luke’s Episcopal Mobile Medical Ministry, state Reps. Kenny Cox and Larry Bagley, and HGM pastor Ronnie Morris and wife Dee Morris. Others interested in taking part in the clinics only have to attend one of the monthly assessments that will be held at HGM Community Development Corp. Particpants will be enrolled in an ongoing care management program. Link to full article https://www.ktbs.com/news/mlk-health-center-expands-wellness-program-to-desoto-parish/article_f0d47e32-aac8-11e7-baca-3f3cedc629de.html