Baystate Mary Lane Hospital ER Offers Free Blood-pressure Screenings Daily

WARE — Did you know that close to 60 million Americans have high blood pressure, but only about half of them know it? The community is invited to come to the Emergency Department at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m., seven days a week, to have their blood pressure checked at no cost. No appointment is necessary.

“The staff in our emergency room is committed to encouraging our community members to take steps to better health, beginning with knowing what their blood pressure is,” said Kimberly Davis, manager of the Emergency Room.

“Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, often times has no symptoms at all, and it is a common misconception that high blood pressure is something that affects only those who are older or obese,” Davis added. “The reality is that, while our blood pressure does increase a little with age, high blood pressure can happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, or weight, and high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, stroke, or kidney failure. Checking blood pressures is our way of letting the community know that we care about them every day and not just when they have a health emergency.”

Although the Emergency Department staff focuses its efforts on emergency stroke treatments, Davis went on, this effort helps improve stroke prevention. “Over 40{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of strokes could be prevented if high blood pressure was controlled. By helping our community members to know their blood pressure, we aim to tackle this statistic. Stroke is devastating. That’s why we’ll do all we can to prevent you and your family from having one, beginning with checking your blood pressure for free.”

She emphasized the importance of screening to detect potential problems before they become a chronic health issue. “Unfortunately, when left untreated, high blood pressure and related problems bring patients to our Emergency Department with serious medical concerns. We want to identify those in our community who are at risk and help them to make lifestyle changes that will promote a long and healthy life.”

In addition to conducting blood-pressure assessments, the Emergency Department team is prepared to share education on blood-pressure screening, follow-up, free BP monitoring cards, and information for patients about the hospital’s primary-care practices and other relevant services upon request. For more information on Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, visit baystatehealth.org/bmlh.