Longboat Key to host health fair

The town of Longboat Key is motivating its employees to stay healthy.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Town Hall, the town is hosting its annual Health Fair. The event is also open to all town residents who hold a Florida Blue health insurance card.

Human Resources Manager Lisa Silvertooth said the purpose is to encourage employees, and others, to stay healthy year after year.

“We try to promote health, and we try to encourage every year that the employee improves from last year,” she said.

To do this, the town offers wellness points to employees who improve their health from the previous year. If the employee is not in the healthy range that Florida Blue sets, they don’t receive points. If they are in the healthy range, they could earn a day off.

At the fair, employees and Florida Blue residents can get their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose checked. Additionally, representatives from the Center for Brain Health, The Paradise Center, Longboat Key Dental, the Suncoast Blood Bank, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Abrams Dermatology and more will be on site to talk with residents and employees.

For residents who would like to have testing done who do not have Florida Blue, it will cost $45.

“The point is to get people to understand where they are, and the next thing is every year that the employee comes to the health fair and they are improving,” Silvertooth said.