NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group is sponsoring a series of free vascular screenings to be held on Tuesdays, Sept. 9, 23, Oct. 7, 21 and Nov. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Hospital, 101 Page Street, New Bedford.

Appointments are required and can be requested by calling 800-497-1727. Space is limited and appointments will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. No walk-ins will be accepted on screening days.

The screenings are basic vascular screenings that can help detect a condition called peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The non-invasive screenings are performed by a trained nurse and take approximately 20 minutes. Patients should arrive 15 minutes prior to screening time.

What is PVD?

According to the American Heart Association, PVD occurs mainly in the vessels that carry blood to the leg and arm muscles. If left untreated, PVD can result in peripheral artery disease (PAD) a condition that puts people at higher risk of death from stroke and heart attack due to the risk of blood clots.

“Because the symptoms of PVD usually disappear after rest, many sufferers do not seek help because they believe their pain is a normal part of growing older,” said Gail Perzentz, RN, who conducts the screenings at St. Luke’s Hospital.  “Regular vascular screenings can detect PVD, a potentially serious circulatory problem characterized by an ache, pain or cramping in the legs, calves or buttocks while walking or exercising.” For more information on PVD, www.americanheart.org.

Southcoast Health System

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.

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