| For Immediate Release | Contact: Joyce Faria Brennan |
| November 8, 2006 | 508-961-5270 |
| brennanj@southcoast.org | |
 Get this release in Word format |
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FALL RIVER, Mass. — Charlton Memorial Hospital will be hosting a free screening program for local residents age 60 and older who may be at risk for vascular disease and stroke.
The screening program will be held on Wednesday, December 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Boston Medical Center, 373 New Boston Road in Fall River. Patients who qualify for a free screening may set up an appointment during the call. Space is limited and pre-screening is required.
The program will offer three free screening exams to each of the qualifying community members. The screening exams encompass serious conditions that lead to vascular disease and stroke: peripheral artery disease (PAD), carotid artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD), sometimes known as hardening of the arteries, is a blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. PAD may lead to loss of limbs. The screening involves a quick, painless and non-invasive Ankle Brachial Index (ABI index) test that is performed using blood pressure cuffs on the arms and ankles. The ABI index is a ratio between the pressures in your arms and legs and will identify most cases of Peripheral Arterial Disease.
- Carotid artery disease occurs when there is a blockage in the arteries within the neck that supply blood to the brain. Carotid artery disease is the number one cause of stroke, a leading cause of U.S. disability and death. During the screening the technologist applies an acoustic gel on your neck over your carotid arteries. A painless instrument, called a transducer, is moved around your neck to visualize the inside of the carotid artery. An ultrasound monitor visually depicts the inside of the carotid artery and the rate of blood flow.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an enlargement in the lining of the artery that leads from the heart to the lower abdomen. Rupture of an AAA often results in sudden death. The screening involves the use of an ultrasound-imaging technology to image your abdominal aorta and measure its size along the course of the vessel. The technologist applies an acoustic gel on your abdomen. A painless instrument, called a transducer, is moved around your stomach to visualize the inside of the abdominal aorta.
People who are 60 years of age or older and have at least one risk factor for vascular disease — smoking, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or family history of AAA — should call 1-866-220-7283 for a brief evaluation that will confirm if they qualify for a free screening.
The screenings are by appointment only and on a first come, first serve basis.
Charlton Memorial Hospital, the Fall River site of Southcoast Hospitals Group, will be providing the screening in collaboration with Life Line Screening as part of the Stroke & Aneurysm Vascular Evaluation (S.A.V.E.) screening program.
About Southcoast
Southcoast Health System, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of advanced health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes Southcoast Hospitals Group, formed in 1996 from the merger of Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Southcoast has more than 40 ancillary facilities, including the Southcoast Health Van, home health care, hospice and infusion services, numerous outpatient medical services, an assisted living facility and a wellness center. For more information visit www.southcoast.org.
Southcoast is one of three community hospitals approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to perform open heart surgery and primary angioplasty beginning in Spring 2002.
Media Contact
Joyce Faria Brennan
Phone: 508-961-5270
Pager: 508-387-9605
Fax: 508-961-5876
brennanj@southcoast.org
