Sycamore Shoals Hospital will host a community health screening on Saturday, April 9, from 7-9 a.m.
Participants can get their blood pressure checked for free at the event and get blood work drawn and processed at a very low cost, said Corey Paulson, director of marketing and communications for Sycamore Shoals Hospital.
Included in the tests for the blood work, lab staff will check blood glucose, hematocrit (which is the percentage of red blood cells present in the blood), triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and risk ratio testing. The cost of the blood work is $15 cash, and no insurance is required, Paulson said.
The blood work tests require patients to be fasting so it is advised that patients not drink or eat anything for 10 hours prior to the test.
The cafeteria at the hospital will be open for those who want to eat after their tests are completed.
The test samples will be processed at the SSH phlebotomy lab, and the results will be mailed to participants within a week, Paulson said.
“They can take their results with them to their family physicians if they want,” he said.
This is the second of the community health screenings to be held by Sycamore Shoals this year, Paulson said. The remaining health screenings will be held July 11 and Oct. 10, all from 7-9 a.m. The tests are done early in the morning, he said, because patients are required to fast for several hours prior to the screening.
Providing health screenings to the public is just one way Mountain States Health Alliance, which operates Sycamore Shoals Hospital, wants to serve the community, Paulson said.
“This is one of the great examples of one of the things we do to try to improve the health of the community,” he said. “We are always adding new services. We are always trying to improve our services to the community and the quality of the services we provide.”
To register, please call 1-800-888-5551. Walk-ins are also welcome. Park on the east side of the hospital and enter under the blue awning.