'Healthy Hearts Health Fair' offers free screenings to Smoketown community

A team at Norton Healthcare was offering free health screenings to dozens of residents in the Smoketown neighborhood on Sunday.Norton partnered with Bates Community Development Corporation & Bates Memorial Church to host the "Healthy Hearts Health Fair."The event offered mammography, colon cancer and cardiovascular screenings, including blood pressure and blood sugar checks."It's about bringing health care to the people, bringing those resources to the people," said Dr. Steven Patton with Norton Community Medical Associates. "Sometimes time and transportation is a restraint. Having all those resources in one spot makes it easier for the patient and people overall."Vendors were also on-site at the Camp Edwards Building on S. Hancock Street, offering information on nutrition, self-care, mental health and healthy snacks for guests.