Free blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, on-site job interviews, and a gluten-free seafood gumbo demo will fill Hall J of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Saturday, as the Urban League of Louisiana hosts its fifth annual Big Health Event alongside presenting sponsor Ochsner Health. The gathering runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is completely free to attend, and organizers are encouraging families to bring everyone, including kids who can burn off energy at the Ochsner Children's Zone.
A Five-Year Push for Access
The event, first launched in 2022, has grown into one of the region's largest single-day health outreach efforts, according to the Urban League of Louisiana. Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO of the organization, said health has always been a concern for the Urban League nationally, and that the COVID-19 pandemic sharpened that focus. “Covid taught people worldwide the importance of health,” Morse said, per WGNO, which is serving as a media partner for the event and is streaming the full Big Health Event podcast on its WGNO+ app.
Dr. Yvens Laborde of Ochsner Health echoed that sentiment, telling the station that “people cannot be well without access to health care” and that the event “creates a culture of health and well-being.” The gathering is designed to build a community atmosphere where residents can address access issues directly, according to the station's report.
What's Being Offered Saturday
Attendees can get free adult screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cognitive function, lung capacity, vision, BMI, and hip health, according to WWL-TV. The Ochsner Children's Zone will run STEM, movement, and other fun activities for kids throughout the day, while a workforce career fair offers on-site interviews for job seekers. Chef Marilyn Doucette is also scheduled to lead live culinary demonstrations, including a healthy, gluten-free take on seafood gumbo, per the same account.
Parking will not cost attendees a dime either. The Morial Convention Center is offering complimentary parking in Lot F and Lot G along Convention Center Boulevard for the day, removing what is often a real financial barrier for families weighing whether to attend, according to the same station's report.
Why Louisiana Needs the Push
The event lands against a stark backdrop. Louisiana ranked 50th, dead last, among all 50 states in overall health in the United Health Foundation's 2025 America's Health Rankings report, released in January, as reported by Unfiltered with Kiran. The state has held that bottom spot continuously since 2021. State public health data cited in the report found 16.1% of adult Louisianans have been diagnosed with diabetes, 15.7% are current smokers, and adult obesity sits at an estimated 39.2%, according to Biz New Orleans.
Ochsner Health and regional partners have responded with the “Healthy State by 2030” initiative, an explicit push to lift Louisiana from last place into the top 40 states by targeting chronic disease prevention, child poverty, smoking rates, and food insecurity. Not every metric is bleak, however. Despite the state's overall last-place finish, Louisiana ranked 12th nationwide in cancer screening rates in 2025, with 67.6% of women ages 40 to 74 up to date on mammograms and a similar share current on colorectal screenings, both exceeding national averages, Biz New Orleans reported. That figure suggests targeted screening campaigns like Saturday's event can move the needle even amid broader systemic challenges.
A Broader Mission Beyond One Day
The Urban League of Louisiana, founded in 1938, pairs this kind of health outreach with economic advocacy through its partnership with The Data Center on the SEE CHANGE Collective, which targets racial wealth and health disparities in Greater New Orleans through homeownership, entrepreneurship, and workforce income growth, according to the Urban Institute. Saturday's career fair component reflects that same philosophy of tying physical wellness to economic opportunity.
Ochsner, meanwhile, is investing well beyond a single Saturday event. The health system is in the midst of constructing a $300 million riverfront children's hospital, a five-story, 343,000-square-foot standalone facility slated to open in early 2028. That long-term pediatric investment runs parallel to the smaller-scale but immediate offerings of the Ochsner Children's Zone at Saturday's event, giving families a taste of the kind of child-focused care the system is scaling up regionwide.
