Calumet Medical Center offers free heart screenings PDF Print E-mail
Written by Times-Journal   
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 15:42
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.
Every 25 seconds, an American will suffer a coronary (heart) event.  It is estimated that 81,100,000 Americans have one or more forms of CVD and nearly 850,000 die from this disease every year (source: American Heart Association and CDC, 2006).  High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, excess body weight, and diabetes are some of the risk factors for CVD that can be modified through lifestyle changes.  Karin Wille, coordinator of education and community service at Calumet Medical Center explains, “Heart disease includes not only heart attacks but also strokes and certain challenges with circulation to the extremities, like the legs.  People can do a lot to decrease their risk of suffering from these types of problems, but it is very important that they know their numbers.”  

To that end, Calumet Medical Center is once again offering its Healthy Heart program which provides free screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and body mass index.  Participants in the screenings fast overnight and then have their blood analyzed by a Cholestech LDX analyzer, a machine that provides a full lipid panel and blood glucose measurement in approximately five minutes.  Medical professionals provide detailed explanations of the results, educational materials to reinforce the information learned, and assistance with goal setting for health improvement.  “Those who participate will leave the screening knowing their numbers, what those numbers mean to their overall health and more importantly, what strategies they can employ to reduce their risk and live a longer, healthier life,” said Wille.  
Calumet Medical Center has been offering the Healthy Heart Screening program for nearly six years. 

Historically this program has been partially funded by grants, but those dollars were unavailable this year.  As a result, the program ceased operations for two months. 

Tim Richman, president of Calumet Medical Center stated, “I heard from people throughout our communities that this program was important to them and they didn’t want it to lose it.  I know that with our current economic situation, accessing quality health care is financially challenging for some, so we decided to continue to offer this program as part of our commitment to the communities we serve.  I am really proud that Calumet Medical Center was able to find a way to continue to offer this important screening program at no cost to the public.”

Healthy Heart Screenings are conducted on the second Wednesday of every month at Calumet Medical Center between the hours of 6:30 and 10:30 a.m.  The screening is free, but participants are required to pre-register.  To register, or for more information, contact Affinity NurseDirect at 1-800-362-9900.
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