Aug 3, 2012

Costa Layman Farms Sponsors Health FairSource: Costa Layman Farms

On July 20, Costa Layman Farms sponsored its seventh annual Interdisciplinary Health Fair in Trenton, S.C.

The perennial grower teamed up with Georgia Health Sciences University College of Nursing (GHSU) to provide free health assessments for farm workers and academic hours for student nurses. ‘Miracles happen where you plant them’ was proudly communicated on the t-shirts of more than 425 Costa Layman Farms’ employees during the health fair.

“The comprehensive health screenings provided by GHSU are of the highest caliber and a wonderful benefit we are able to offer our employees,” says Debbie Layman from Costa Layman Farms and founder of the health fair.

“We are extremely fortunate to partner with GHSU who has helped us build the health fair from a very basic event to a sophisticated health screening event with nursing students receiving clinical experience unlike any other rotation they have in school,” explains Layman.

The health fair featured dental screenings, HIV testing, cholesterol and glucose screenings, pulmonary function testing, grip strength and screenings for vision, bone density, sleep apnea, height, weight, blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol and glucose and body mechanics classes.

Employee turnout was at its highest this year and community involvement continues to grow, according to Layman, who is a GHSU College of Nursing alumna, and serves on the College of Nursing’s Advancement Committee and as a trustee for the GHSU Foundation.

“The feedback from our employees is always very positive. A clean bill of health gives them a sense of hope and is something they can be proud of,” Layman explains.

Participants, organizers and doctors all agree that this event is beneficial for everyone involved. “The employees obtain health care, the employer builds morale and the nurses acquire a number of working hours from one place, “says Dr. Jo Ellen McDonough, one of the founding doctors of the health fair.

As the Costa Layman Farms health fair continues to grow, it will set an example for other nurseries in the industry. “We don’t say safety first, we say safety always,” says second generation, Christina Layman Holmes.