[6/3/03]ROLLING FORK n Retired senior Ollie Kyzar said she was thankful she decided to go to a health fair here Tuesday. She found out her hip could be in danger of breaking if left unchecked.

Kyzar, 69, found out she may have osteoporosis, a condition that caused bones to become fragile.

She and her husband, Reece Kyzar, took the free bone density tests offered at the Mississippi Christian Services Inc., 806 Pine St., which along with the Mississippi State Department of Health, First Steps Family Intervention Program and Friends of Children of Mississippi helped bring more health awareness to residents.

Kyzar said she plans to see her doctor in the next two days to have more in-depth tests done and to see about possible medications. She said she’d meant to get her bone density tested before, but never did.

“It was a matter of procrastination,” Kyzar said, holding her test results. “I meant to go.”

Rolling Fork, 40 miles north of Vicksburg on U.S. 61, has experienced difficulty keeping the area staffed by medical professionals in past months. The Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital’s emergency room shut down from Feb. 24 to March 7 because of medical insurance issues, leaving 8,854 residents in the two counties with Greenville or Vicksburg as the nearest venues for emergency care.

Also earlier this year, Sharkey County’s only pediatrician left the state, citing rising liability costs in the state.

The health fair featured agencies and programs aimed at helping people of all ages and an array of medical conditions, including developmental disabilities and diabetes.

LaDonna Sias, program coordinator for Mississippi Christian Services, said such fairs help many residents who are not able to go to the doctor for an assortment of reasons.

Val Smith, district coordinator for First Steps, said letting people know about services provided to them was one of the biggest goals of the day.

“I think a lot of people in the area just don’t know what’s available,” she said.

Smith said the fair’s goal was to attract at least 300 people.