Plano free health expo offers screenings, CPR classes, groceries

Free screenings, CPR classes and groceries were part of the draw at Plano’s Heart, Mind and Soul Expo, giving Collin County residents a no-cost chance to check on their health without making an appointment. Health Services of North Texas hosted the fifth annual event Saturday, May 2, from noon to 3 p.m. at 5501 Independence Parkway, and opened it to anyone in the county.

The expo was built around practical help that many families delay or skip when money, time or transportation get in the way. A resident could walk in for a screening, learn a basic lifesaving skill and leave with groceries, a combination that addressed both immediate needs and longer-term prevention. The setting also tied directly to Health Services of North Texas’ Plano location, which provides primary care, pediatrics, infectious disease care, behavioral health services, an on-site lab and a pharmacy at 5501 Independence Parkway, Suite 110.

The event fit into a broader countywide safety net that already relies on nonprofit care. Collin County helps fund clinics and organizations that provide visual screenings, prescription assistance and medical help for seniors, and Health Services of North Texas is part of that network. In Plano, the center serves children, teens and adults, underscoring how many different points of care residents can need before a problem becomes serious.

The need is clear in regional health planning. Texas Health Resources’ 2025 Collin Region Community Health Needs Assessment identifies healthcare access, navigation and literacy, transportation, connectedness and food insecurity as key priorities for 2025 through 2028. The same assessment says Collin and Hunt Counties are at or below the national average for annual primary care visits and colon screenings among adults ages 45 to 75, a sign that routine prevention still falls through the cracks for many households.

That gap is even sharper because Collin County has no public hospital for uninsured residents, leaving churches, free clinics and nonprofit providers to absorb much of the demand. Health Services of North Texas reported that 5,998 uninsured patients received care in 2025, along with 4,145 HIV tests and 809 mammograms. The expo did not solve every access problem, but it showed how a free, neighborhood-scale event can connect residents to care before a small issue turns into a costly emergency.