News/Events
News Release
St. John’s Offers Heart Test at Discounted Rate
10/7/2009
Joplin, Mo. – St. John’s radiology department will now offer a cardiac CT scan for coronary calcium for just $89.
Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. Patients often delay evaluation or treatment until disabling chest pain occurs. Early evaluation of risk factors and treatment are vital. The CT scan for coronary calcium is an important evaluation tool. Many patients do without this study because of financial limitations, since most insurance, Medicaid and Medicare do not cover the cost. Now, St. John’s provides this tool at the lowest cost in the Four State region, only $89, for the study and physician report. Physician orders are required for this scan.
This scan is a non-invasive tool used to obtain information about the presence, location and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. Calcified plaque results when there is a build-up of fat and other substances under the inner layer of the artery. This material can calcify, which signals atherosclerosis, a disease of the vessel wall, also called coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with CAD have an increased risk for heart attacks. Additionally, over time, progression of plaque build-up can narrow the arteries or even close off blood flow to the heart. The result may be chest pain (angina) or even a heart attack.
St. John’s currently provides other tools for preventive heart care. Heart Aware is a free, online risk assessment tool that evaluates a patient’s risk for developing heart disease. St. John’s also offers monthly cardiovascular risk assessments, which includes five tests for the heart for only $99. The affordable CT scan is another tool available for patients to maintain a healthy heart.
For more information, call St. John’s Outpatient Diagnostic Center at 417.625.2462.
St. John’s Regional Medical Center has been leading the way in healthcare throughout the four-state area for more than 110 years. We are a 367-bed facility, serving 19 counties in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. We provide state-of-the-art healthcare services, specializing in cardiology, orthopedics, neurosciences, and oncology. St. John’s has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission. Additionally, we have been recognized by Thomson Reuters Healthcare with five 100 Top Hospital Awards (1999, 2006, 2008).