February 7, 2008

Convenient Prevention: Mercy Cholesterol Screenings Available Year-Round

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City reminds Siouxland area residents that its cholesterol screenings are available year-round in three area locations.

During National Heart Month in February, physicians and educators at the regionally and nationally renowned Mercy Heart Center remind you of the importance of knowing your cholesterol levels.

“As blood cholesterol increases, so does the risk of heart disease,” explained Sharon Blanche, executive director of Mercy Heart Center. “An individual’s cholesterol level is also affected by age, gender, heredity and diet. That is why it is important that we all know our numbers.”

“It is also our belief that if we want people in the tri-state area to have their cholesterol checked, we need to make it as easy and convenient as possible for them to do so,” Blanche added. “That is why Mercy continues to offer cholesterol screenings on a weekly basis at three different Sioux City area locations.”

Cholesterol and glucose screenings are available each weekday in from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on the fifth floor of Mercy Heart Center. No appointment is needed.

Cholesterol screenings are also available each weekday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Mercy Dunes Medical Laboratories at 350 W. Anchor Drive in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. No appointment is necessary for the Dakota Dunes location.

You can also have a cholesterol screening completed at Mercy Urgent Care at 3500 Singing Hills Boulevard in Sioux City. You are asked to call (712) 274-4250 for an appointment if you opt for the screening at Mercy Urgent Care.

Mercy’s year-round screenings include a check of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, ratio and glucose levels. The cost for the screening is $12. A 12-hour fast is required before the blood test.

For more information about year-round cholesterol screenings available through Mercy, call (712) 279-2989.

Mercy also offers its more comprehensive “Heart Smart” Vascular Screenings by appointment.

The HeartSmart Screening Program taps the latest diagnostic technology to complete outpatient vascular screenings, cardiovascular risk panels, and cardiac calcium scoring. Armed with the results of those tests, physicians can identify the presence of plaque along the arterial walls, abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, and the earliest stages of coronary artery disease (CAD) before those problems lead to a potentially fatal or debilitating heart attack or stroke.

Stroke/carotid artery screenings, abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings, and peripheral arterial disease screenings are just $45 each. Or, all three screenings can be purchased for $99. Each screening also includes a complementary cardiovascular risk assessment, blood pressure check and body mass index calculation.

Mercy also offers cardiac calcium scoring, a non-invasive screening for coronary artery disease. By rapidly taking a series of x-ray images or “slices,” the hospital’s state-of-the-art CT scanner can detect the presence of hardening (calcification and plaque) in the coronary arteries — an indicator for coronary artery disease. Mercy’s 16-slice CT scanner is able to more effectively capture detailed information of the heart or other organs or structures in less time. And, physicians at Mercy Heart Center say cardiac calcium scoring may be an appropriate additive to the risk assessment for coronary artery disease. The cost of the cardiac calcium scoring diagnostic procedure is $395.

Cardiologists in practice with Cardiovascular Associates, PC, and board certified radiologists read all of the results of Mercy’s HeartSmart Vascular Screening,

For more information, or to make an appointment for a “HeartSmart” Screening, contact the Mercy Heart Center at (712) 279-2098.

A comprehensive national study released in October by HealthGrades ranked Mercy No. 1 in Iowa for overall cardiac services, coronary interventional procedures, heart surgery, and cardiology services. Mercy was also the only Iowa hospital to receive the HealthGrades 2008 Specialty Excellence Award for Cardiac Care. The hospital also received the 2008 Specialty Excellence Award for Coronary Intervention. Mercy ranks among the top 10% of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals for overall cardiac services and vascular surgery.