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Free Cardiac Screenings

The Avon Recreation Center has announced a new program that will offer free blood screenings on the second Wednesday of every month from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“We have been working with the Vail Valley Medical Center on this wonderful program for the past several years and it has been a tremendous success and benefit to the community. We look forward to continuing this program well into the future” said Danita Dempsey fitness supervisor for the town of Avon.

Vail Valley Medical Center received a Cancer Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease grant from Denver Health and Colorado Prevention Center to conduct free screens of uninsured and underinsured Eagle County resident for cholesterol blood sugars blood pressure and body mass index to assess for cardiovascular risk. Test results include total cholesterol sugar levels triglycerides height weight and blood pressure. Results are immediate and will be discussed between you and the community health advocate.

The program is offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Individual consultations will take approximately 20 minutes.

Participants should remember to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water the day before and fast for 10 to 12 hours prior to the screening.

Despite being noted as a “healthy” county the assessment  revealed the number one cause of death among Eagle County residents was cardiovascular disease. 

According to the Centers for  Disease Control and Prevention life expectancy could be  increased by seven years if all forms of cardiovascular disease were eliminated.

For more information on the free blood  screenings contact Claudia Hilty at (970) 471-3258.