Mississippi Baptist Medical Center introduced the state’s first mobile cardiovascular unit during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6. The Baptist Heart Mobile Cardiovascular Unit will offer heart and vascular screenings, bundled into brief basic and advanced screening packages that include heart risk assessments, electrocardiograms, ankle-brachial index tests, abdominal aorta ultrasound scans and more.
MBMC also held ribbon-cutting and open-house events to introduce the mobile cardiovascular unit on Tuesday, Feb. 10 on the Madison campus in Madison, Mississippi, and on Thursday, Feb. 12 at Baptist Heart in Flowood, Mississippi.
MBMC’s CEO and Administrator Bobbie Ware, Baptist Heart physicians, chamber members, city officials and other community and health leaders attended each event.
“The Baptist Heart Mobile Cardiovascular Unit will be a gamechanger for busy professionals and at-risk and underserved individuals in Central Mississippi,” said MBMC Director of Cardiovascular Services Delon Thornhill. “With 10- to 30-minute screening sessions, those most at-risk for heart disease will be able to access meaningful and effective heart and vascular screenings where they live and work, further reducing barriers to better health, early detection and lifesaving medical care.”
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Mississippi and has been linked to obesity, smoking and physical inactivity. A recent study led by two University of Mississippi professors found physician availability had a protective role on cardiovascular disease outcomes, and even small increases in the number of primary care physicians in an area could produce a substantial improvement in chronic heart disease and survival rates.
Baptist Heart’s mobile cardiovascular unit will be staffed by two to three health care professionals, including a mobile cardiovascular unit coordinator, who will provide health education and review results with patients. For more information, visit baptistheart.org/mobile.
