Increased first-aid presence available at fair

A partnership between St. Joseph County Grange Fair and Covered Bridge Healthcare aims to enhance already-established first-aid offerings at the fair.

The Centreville-based clinic will collaborate with “Nurse Betty” Meyer and her crew with the goal to make the annual event even safer for everyone involved.

Medical presence on the grounds will begin Sept. 18 and continue through Sept. 26, ensuring coverage for fair week and for camper setup and takedown. When campers arrive, they will receive health care brochures, including a map denoting the location of health care facilities.

Covered Bridge Healthcare will bring its mobile unit, facilitating same-day visits and pharmaceutical services. LifeCare will assist with on-grounds triage.

Kris Kirsch, vice president of the fair board, said there were 200 visits in 2019 to the first aid station for various incidents including bee-stings, scraped-knees and someone getting bucked from a horse.

Covered Bridge Healthcare has developed standard medical protocol for the most common injuries.