By JAMES E. CASTO
For The State Journal
HUNTINGTON – St. Mary's Medical
Center will mark the 34th anniversary of its Regional Heart Institute this
year, and in observance of the anniversary is offering free and discounted
heart screenings on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Doug Korstanje, the hospital's director
of marketing and public relations, noted that St. Mary's inaugurated "a new
dimension of heart care" in 1979 when the region's first cardiac catherization
and first open-heart surgery were performed at the hospital.
Today, St. Mary's offers a broad
range of cardiac care, including interventional, non-invasive and diagnostic procedures.
The hospital's Regional Heart Institute is the centerpiece of a $30 million,
three-story building constructed at the south end of the hospital campus in
2006.
Diagnostic procedures play an increasingly
important role in quality cardiac care. said Regina Campbell, RN, BSN, director
of the Heart Institute. Hence the decision to offer a day of free and
discounted screenings.
"We wanted
people to start the year being heart healthy, so we decided to offer several
free and discounted heart screenings," Campbell said. "Patients often ignore
signs and symptoms of heart disease. These screening exams help identify needed
lifestyle changes or the need to follow up with their physician."
"We've
seen dramatic changes in treatment and technology over the 30-plus years we've
been providing advanced heart care to the Tri-State. If a patient does discover
a heart problem through these screenings, we have a number of treatment options
that can help them."
The
screenings, dubbed "Healthy Heart University," will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the St. Mary's Outpatient Center.
Free screenings
include blood sugar, cholesterol, body composition analysis, blood pressure,
stroke risk assessment and COPD. Free consultations and health information will
be provided.
Advanced
screenings will be available.
Pre-registration is required due to limited
space. Call (304) 526-1492. These will include: electrocardiogram (free with
pre-registration); vascular screenings (available at a discounted price of $75
for three tests -- peripheral artery disease, carotid artery and abdominal
aortic aneurysm), and wellness blood profiles (available at a discounted price
of $25 for 29 tests).
The blood profiles will only be offered from 9 a.m. until
noon.
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