Don’t wait – take advantage while you can!!

Hattiesburg, MS – May 5, 2010 – DON’T DELAY!! MEDICAID WILL BE ACCEPTED for a limited time only for FIVE tests for heart attack, stroke, aneurysms, atrial fibrillation and peripheral artery disease. These are done in 10 MINUTES -no needles or disrobing- by SafeHeart of Hattiesburg!! The price for all 5 tests is usually $129, but for a limited time, though a special state-funded program, Medicaid will be accepted if you have FULL MEDICAID BENEFITS coverage.

WHERE:

• Greater Meridian Health Clinic, Meridian, MS, June 11, 2010, 9am until 4pm.
• Jackson Medical Mall, Jackson, MS, on June 18, 2010, 10am until 5pm.
• Highland Community Hospital, Picayune, MS, June 23, 2010, 8am until 5pm.
• Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Greenwood, MS, June 28, 2010, 8am until 5pm.
• Singing River Services, Gauthier, MS, July 9, 2010, 9am until 4pm.
• Donal Snyder Community Center, Biloxi, MS, July 29, 2010, 9am until 5pm.

Appointments are recommended because space is limited so call toll-free 1-866-548-3006 or 601-450-5483 to schedule or for more information.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT IN MISSISSIPPI?

According to the American Heart Association, Mississippi ranks #1 in the nation in deaths from heart disease and stroke, and one in five of these deaths are people under the age of 65. Yet 50% of all heart attack victims and 80% of all stroke victims have no warning – their first symptom is often the heart attack or stroke. People don’t want to wait until it’s too late, nor should they have to.

SafeHeart offers five separate screens, which can provide people important information about their cardiovascular health. These include: a carotid artery ultrasound screen; an abdominal aorta aneurysm ultrasound screen; a peripheral artery disease screen; an atrial fibrillation screen; and a carotid intima-media thickness ultrasound screen.

• Carotid Artery Disease Screen

The Carotid Artery Disease Screen uses ultrasound and Doppler technology to screen for plaque buildup and blockages in the carotid arteries. Carotid artery disease is the leading cause of stroke.

• Carotid Intima Media Thickness Screen

The Carotid Intima Media Thickness Screen uses ultrasound technology to obtain a measurement of the thickness of the wall of the carotid arteries. Carotid artery thickness (CIMT) is a validated non–invasive method to assess for early atherosclerosis. An abnormal CIMT is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm Screen

The Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm Screen uses ultrasound technology to evaluate for an abnormal enlargement of the abdominal aorta. Aortic aneurysms are usually asymptomatic until advanced when a rupture can be a catastrophic event.

• Peripheral Vascular Disease Screen

The Peripheral Vascular Disease Screen measures the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) to evaluate for decreased circulation to the lower extremities. Persons with abnormal ABI and peripheral vascular disease have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Atrial Fibrillation Screen

The Atrial Fibrillation Screen evaluates the presence of atrial fibrillation, a common and often asymptomatic abnormal heart rhythm, which can lead to blood clot formation in the heart chambers leading to increased risk of stroke. Approximately 15% of strokes are a result of atrial fibrillation.

All five screens take only 10 minutes to administer and the entire process takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The screens are painless (no needles) and require no disrobing. The high quality data is interpreted by board-certified vascular specialists, after which the results are sent to the individual’s home within approximately 2 weeks. These non-invasive tests provide peace of mind and allow individuals to take charge of their vascular health.

According to Dr. Gregory Vickers, Medical Director for SafeHeart in Mississippi, “By offering these CVD screens, we are arming individuals in our community with the ability to control their vascular health before it controls them. The screens will help an individual recognize potential health problems and obtain treatment before they become life-threatening.”

Call SafeHeart at 866-548-3006 to schedule an appointment, or for any questions about the screens or Medicaid coverage.

SafeHeart Health Screens is a Mississippi-based company specializing in non-invasive vascular screenings, with a focus on screening asymptomatic individuals who wish to be proactive about their cardiovascular health. SafeHeart Health Screens understands that one of the keys to healthy living is preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD); and the key to preventing CVD is the early recognition of disease and disease symptoms. For more information, please visit www.safehearthealthscreens.com.

Greenwood Leflore Hospital will host a series of screenings next month to alert people to potential heart problems.

SafeHeart Health Screens, a Mississippi-based company, will  offer five health screens on June 28 for $129. The service will be free for
Medicaid patients.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:
http://gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2010/05/24/news/top_stories/05242010news02.txt

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Heart attack and stroke are often called the “silent killers,” because they can strike with no warning.  A group out of Hattiesburg called the Safe Heart Health Screens is trying to change this.

They travel around the state to administer a series of five tests that check anything from an aneurysm to clogged arteries.

“When they come to us and have these five screens, they’re getting something that they can’t just go to their doctor and say I want to have all five of these screens done,” said Safe Heart Technician Susan Myrick.

Robert Wilson walked into the Safe Heart Health Screening to be proactive about this health.  His great aunt died suddenly of an aneurysm.  Wilson said she had no idea anything was wrong.

“And all of a sudden one morning, she had an aneurysm in her stomach and she died.  She died instantly on the spot,” remembered Wilson.

The American Heart Association reported that Mississippi ranks number one in the nation for death from heart attack and stroke.  It also said 50 percent of all heart attack and 80 percent of stroke victims have no warning.

Dr. Charles O’Mara from Baptist Medical Hospital said there are ways to minimize risk of becoming a statistic.

“Primarily lifestyle considerations like healthy diet, maintaining a satisfactory weight, treatment of high blood pressure,” said Dr. O’Mara.

Wilson said he wants to change his lifestyle because of that advice.  “So now I’m in the process of working out and trying to get myself back, at least half way, the way I used to be.”

These screenings are also part of a state-funded Medicaid program where any Medicaid recipient in Mississippi can receive the services for free.

The program will last through the Safe Heart Health Screening until December 31, 2010.

However, for others the screening would cost $129 dollars.  This group is coming back to the Jackson Medical Mall on June 18th.

View the video for this story.

Delays in seeking treatment were unrelated to age, sex, social class, or educational level, the study also found, suggesting that public-awareness campaigns targeting specific groups are unlikely to have significant benefit, said lead author, Dr Arvind Chandratheva (University of Oxford, UK).

“What you need is a national media campaign that highlights that any symptoms that are sudden onset, particularly with face or arm weakness and speech disturbance, should necessitate urgent medical attention,” Chandratheva said.

To view the rest of the article, click: http://www.theheart.org/article/1069863.do.  This article will require you to create a user account at theheart.org.  Registration is free.

Published in the Houma Today Monday, August 3, 2009 at 11:06 a.m.

HOUMA – A health screening could save your life. It did for Houma native Martha LeBlanc.

After learning one of her co-workers had gone to a health screening, she decided to book an appointment. And what did the screening show? A 50 percent blockage in one of her carotid arteries.

“It was an absolute relief that they caught it when they did,” the 57-year-old said. “Because of that I was able to go to Cardiovascular Institute of the South for additional tests. They continue to monitor me every six months. I can’t say enough good things about the screenings.”

Hattiesburg, Miss.,-based SafeHeart Health Screens has scheduled five-step cardiovascular tests from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd. The battery of tests costs $129.

The mobile-testing unit has been used to bring life-saving techniques to residents in south Louisiana, including LeBlanc.

“We’ve begun to see that more and more companies and businesses that are providing this sort of testing for their employees because it doesn’t take long and can ultimately save their lives,” said Karen Wilkins, CEO of SafeHeart Health Screens.

SafeHeart also is conducting a health fair Wednesday for all Terrebonne Parish government employees.

J. Dana Ortego, parish risk-management director, said more than 40 different health-care providers will available to the employees, giving them an opportunity to ask questions and learn about health issues.

Wilkins said routine screenings conducted by an employer benefit the employee, in addition to the company or agency.

“They found two men who had a severe-enough blockage in their carotid arteries that they were sent straight to the emergency room,” Wilkins said after conducting a health screening for a Mississippi company.

Wilkens said half of the people who die from heart disease never experience warning signs.

Wilkins and LeBlanc added that the five tests are painless and only take a few minutes.

“You’re in and out,” LeBlanc said. “They do a great job of making it as relaxing as possible.”

All test results are interpreted by board-certified doctors. Patients can expect results in about 14 days. Abnormal results are forwarded to the patient’s doctor.

“It’s worth your time to find out if you have something that needs to be monitored further, and this is an excellent way to do that,” Wilkins added.

Appointments are recommended, though walk-ins also may be accepted. To make an appointment, call 866-548-3006 or visit www.safehearthealthscreens.com.

SafeHeart will administer five separate screens, which can provide important information about cardiovascular health. The tests will screen for carotid intima media thickness, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease and arterial fibrillation. A carotid artery ultrasound will also be performed.

All five screens take only 10 minutes to administer. The tests are painless, non-invasive and require no disrobing.

State-licensed, board-certified interventional radiologists with Comprehensive Radiology Services will review the results. Those results will then be sent to the patient’s home within two weeks.

Mississippi ranks first in the country in deaths from CVD, which is responsible for 45 percent of all deaths in this state. One in five of these are cases under the age of 65. Furthermore, 50 percent of all heart attacks and 65 percent of all strokes have no warning signs. Generally, the first sign or symptom is the heart attack or stroke itself.

Appointments for the SafeHeart Health Screen are limited and required. If you are interested, please contact SafeHeart Health Screens at 601-450-5483 or by email at info@safehearthealthscreens.com.

Karen Wilkens on WLOX

SafeHeart Health Screens is taking cardiovascular screenings on the road.  The Hattiesburg-based screening company has seen both a name and location change as they gear up to expand services to Louisiana and Alabama this month. Both changes, President and Chief Executive Officer Karen Wilkins said, have been for the better.

Formerly known as LiveWell, the screening company, changed its name to SafeHeart to avoid trademark conflicts as a result of the company’s expansion. SafeHeart also moved from the University of Southern Mississippi’s small business incubator to a location on South 28th Avenue in June.

“The small business incubator is a wonderful service,” Wilkins said. “There is always someone to go to for advice on taxes or marketing. It’s a great opportunity for new businesses. We had just outgrown the space and wanted to move to a bigger location.”

SafeHeart was the winner of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Golden Eagle Challenge 2006, a contest sponsored by an entrepreneurship class at Southern Miss that judges student business plans. Wilkins put her plan into practice, launching SafeHeart in January.

“At the time, there was a company from Ohio coming in and screening in Mississippi,” she said. “We didn’t have anyone local to offer those services, and that’s where the business idea for SafeHeart came from.”

SafeHeart’s central office is in Hattiesburg, but the company’s real location is on the road. A five-person team of two ultrasound technologists, two licensed nurse practitioners and an administrative assistant travel around the state to conduct one-day cardiovascular screening sessions as well as a seminar on cardiovascular health.

The $129 screening consists of five separate tests and a session takes 20 and 30 minutes. Participants call ahead to make an appointment to be screened.

Patients fill out paperwork with personal information and the name of an attending physician they want their results referred to if there is an abnormality. The ultrasound screens include a carotid artery ultrasound screen, which identifies plaque buildup and blockages in the arteries; a carotid intima media thickness screen, which measures artery wall thickness; and an abdominal aortic aneurysm screen, which looks for abnormal enlargements in the abdominal aorta.

The other screens are a peripheral vascular disease screen, which assesses risk of heart disease or stroke by examining circulation to the lower extremities, and an atrial fibrillation screen, which looks for the presence of an abnormal heart rhythm that may lead to blood clots in the heart.

Once the screening is completed, the tests are sent to the Hattiesburg Radiology Group, where interventional radiologists Greg Vickers, Neil Solomon, Alex Pachnanda and Ronald Young interpret the results. Reports are then sent out to patients, who receive the results in about 14 days. If there are any abnormal results, Mississippi law requires the company to forward them to the patient’s doctor of choice.

“We aren’t affiliated with any doctor’s group,” Wilkins said. “We don’t do referrals of any kind. We screen and send a copy of the results to the patient’s doctor of choice, who then follows up with the patient about their care.”

If a severe abnormality, such as a large aneurysm, is found at the screening, protocols are in place to get the patient immediate medical attention.

“That has happened in the past,” Wilkins said. “Our target market is the asymtomatic. People will come into the screenings feeling perfectly fine, but really they have a big problem they had no idea they had.”

Approximately half of all heart attack and stroke victims have no warning signs, Wilkins said. Most of the patients SafeHeart sees are in their fifties or older, she said, although the best age to begin yearly health screening depends on overall health and lifestyle.

Regardless of age, Wilkins said, the objective of the screening is to bring possible health problems to a patient’s attention as well as give them peace of mind.

“Whether the results are good or bad, the patient will have peace of mind,” Wilkins said. “The results are normal and they have a clean bill of health, or there is a problem but they are aware of it and can now get follow-up care. It’s a win-win situation.”