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Ascension St. John Providence Hospital brings mobile heart screenings to businesses, organizations

Posted at 4:19 PM, Aug 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-08 18:03:35-04

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women, but today there's an easier way to get screened right at the doors of your work.
  
We work in the fast moving world of television news for producers like Marie Gould stress can be overwhelming at times.

"When you get all wound up from the news that going on, immediate deadlines, definitely a feeling of stress everyday said Producer Marie Gould.

So, at 36 this wife and mother of one jumped at the chance for a heart and vascular screening by Ascension St. John Providence. She's already learned she has a problem with one of the valves in her heart, but it's nothing major.

"I don't get shortness of breath, I have no restrictions in exercise, basically a clean bill of health", Marie said.

This 40-foot hospital on wheels was rolled out six months ago. it comes to your business, your religious institution or to your corporation.

Providence Hospital's Chief of Cardiology Dr. Shukri David says health care is changing because hospitals are going to the consumer.

With two exam rooms they offer three types of screening, comprehensive, intermediate and basic.

For 75 dollars your head to toe screening includes 7 tests including blood pressure, ultrasounds of your carotid arteries and abdominal aorta - which is so important because you can be working one minute and feel healthy and still die from a heart attack. Dr. David says 50 percent of all heart attacks result in death.

Cathy Alfafara has worked at Channel 7 for 34 years and survived two surgeries for brain tumors, yet her dad died from the result of a stroke and her mom survived three heart attacks and and two heart surgeries, so for her this screening is essential.

Dr. David says it's important for companies to invest in their employees health because it sends the message we care about you.

For Marie the convenience for a busy mom and television producer is a no brainer.

"This is awesome because how many of us are so busy we don't spend time to do for ourselves," Marie said.