SHGM Offering Free Screenings

Brandee Chase, RN, right, talks heart health with Paula Cole of Fremont as dozens of attendees at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s “Your Heart Matters” free heart health event line up to get a variety of screenings at Tamarac on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Gerber Memorial heart health event shines light on free monthly vascular screenings
 
Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial performs free vascular screenings each month on the second Wednesday. The next free screening is April 11.
To qualify for a free screening, participants must have at least two of the following risk factors:

• Diabetes
• Age 60 or older
• High blood pressure
• A history of smoking
• High cholesterol
• A family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm
• A family history of atherosclerosis before age 60

“If you have two or more of these risk conditions, you can benefit from our no-cost, pain-free vascular screening,” said Brandee Chase, RN. “Gerber Memorial is pleased we can offer this service to our neighbors and help improve our community’s health.”
The comprehensive tests include ankle-brachial index test, which is a blood pressure screening in the ankle and arm used to identify peripheral arterial disease that is linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Other tests are a carotid artery screening, which is an ultrasound of the carotid arteries on each side of the neck to test blood flow and plaque buildup, which can increase the risk of stroke, and an ultrasound of the abdomen to test for bulging or widening of the aorta, which is a major blood vessel.
To schedule a free screening, call 877.495.2626, option 4. The screenings are held at the Gerber Memorial hospital building in the radiology department.

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