Health initiatives featured at Tarentum's monthly Night Markets

Tarentum’s Night Market is about more than shopping, food, music and fun.

It’s also about health.

Groups offer health information and services at the event being held the third Thursday of each month through October, organizer Dave Rankin said.

The Allegheny County Health Department, Allies for Health+Wellbeing and Duquesne University Pharmacy School are planning to be involved in the next market from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the borough’s downtown area.

The Tarentum Night Market started last year. The health initiatives were added this year, Rankin said.

“There are no health clinics on this side of the river. But there are plenty of folks who could benefit from clinic-style health care services in our communities in the upper Allegheny Valley, particularly in our local communities here in Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison Township,” Rankin said. “The types of services and programs these organizations provide are offered all over the place, but they don’t serve this end of the county very much. Yet these organizations are more than willing to come here and provide services and information.”

“These initiatives are being brought here because our communities need and deserve the services they provide,” he said.

The Health Department’s Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Program will provide information on a range of health and safety issues and best practices, from prevention programs and programs targeted at specific age groups and populations to auto, pedestrian and bike safety.

“It’s important that the public has the information and the resources that the Health Department has to offer,” said Victoria Baker, a public health educator. “A lot of the resources we provide are free and low cost. It’s good information to have.”

Allies for Health+Wellbeing, formerly known as the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, specializes in HIV treatment and prevention, said Alicia Romano, director of community health.

At the Night Market, it will offer free, rapid testing for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis from its mobile unit. The tests, available to those who are sexually active, are done with a small amount of blood from a finger prick, Romano said. Results take about 20 minutes.

This week will be the third Night Market the organization has attended.

“We’re glad to be able to connect with folks who don’t go to the doctor’s office for whatever reason,” she said.

Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy, through its Community Health Initiatives program, will offer free blood pressure and glucose screenings.

“We’re hoping that we can set a precedent to establish relationships with these organizations that bring these services to our residents on a regular basis,” Rankin said.