HEALTH BRIEFS

In honor of National Stroke Month, the Sacred Heart Regional Stroke Center will hold a Stroke Health Fair on Friday, May 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Dudley Greenhut Auditorium, located on the Sacred Heart main campus in Pensacola.

To kick off the fair, Dr. Rodney Soto, medical director of the Sacred Heart Regional Stroke Center and the area's only certified vascular neurologist, will present a free seminar to the public and answer questions from 1 to 2 p.m. on the prevention and treatment of stroke.

Following Dr. Soto's presentation, there will be a stroke health fair from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring free carotid artery ultrasounds. A carotid ultrasound is a test that shows the carotid arteries (vessels in the neck that provide blood flow to the brain), as well as how much blood flows and how fast it travels through them. Ultrasound waves are used to make an image of the arteries, which can be used to find out if there is an abnormality or blockage of the carotid arteries that could lead to stroke.

In addition, the following free health and risk assessment screenings will be available:

.Cholesterol

.Diabetes & Glucose testing .Blood pressure

.Stroke risk assessment

There will also be several booths and exhibits with information on stroke prevention, care and recovery from the Sacred Heart Stroke team and other local agencies.

Light refreshments will be served during the event, and attendees are encouraged to use the free valet parking, which is available at the main entrance to the hospital.

Reservations are requested for Dr. Soto's presentation. For more information or to reserve your space, please call (850) 416-1620.

Sacred Heart can help smokers find freedom

Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola will offer its "Freedom From Smoking" program starting May 2 and May 3 to help with the physical, psychological, and habitual components of nicotine addiction.

Participants can choose to attend the seven-week course at sessions in the afternoon or evening. The classes will be held Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting May 2 and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. starting May 3.

All classes will be held at Sacred Heart Hospital and will cost $65 per person. However, the orientation class is free and a limited number of scholarships also are available for the entire program.

Space is limited and preregistration is required. Please call (850) 416-7764 for more information or to register.

Mission in Motion offers free screenings to needy, elderly and uninsured

Sacred Heart Health System's mobile health unit will provide free health screenings in April at numerous sites in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Sacred Heart's Mission in Motion program targets persons who are poor, uninsured, or elderly.

The mobile unit will provide blood screenings to measure blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol and blood count. The following screenings will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (except where noted for the April 6 and April 27 screenings).

Thursday, April 20 at St. Ann Catholic Church, 100 Daniel Drive, Gulf Breeze; Wednesday, April 26 at St. Christopher¦s Episcopal Church, 3200 N. 12th Ave, Pensacola; Thursday, April 27 at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, 6205 N. "W" St, Pensacola from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Friday, April 28 at the Cobb Center, 601 E. Mallory St., Pensacola.

Mission in Motion is a community service of Sacred Heart Health System, celebrating 90 years of service to Northwest Florida. The mobile unit is funded by Sacred Heart Health System and staffed by nurses and a driver. The mobile unit¦s services also are made possible by support from the law firm of Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin and McLeod, as well as the Gannett Foundation and other community donors. For more information, call (850) 416-7826.

Baptist Hospital offers supervised exercise for special medical needs

The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department at Baptist Hospital offers a medically supervised exercise program for people with special risk factors for heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis or arthritis. The program also welcomes anyone interested in a structured, individualized exercise program.

Classes meet on a continuing basis every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 4 p.m. in Medical Tower 1, Suite 103, 1717 North E Street in Pensacola. Enrollment is ongoing, but class size is limited. Cost for the eight week

program is $150. Call (850) 469-2235 for more information. Stroke screenings and seminar planned for May 5