Decatur Morgan Hospital conducts vascular exams with mobile unit

By Wes Tomlinson

For the Enquirer

The Decatur Morgan Hospital mobile unit is expanding its services by offering vascular exams all over Morgan County and elsewhere to help elderly residents in north Alabama monitor their heart health.

This past Friday, the mobile unit was at Sparkman Civic Center in Hartselle and had screened about 50 people during its first hour there. Dr. Graeme McFarland, the hospital’s vascular surgeon, was inside conducting the exams and asking his patients questions about their health history.

The mobile unit had a steady flow of visitors as several people were at the civic center for the city’s annual health fair, a fundraiser for all senior centers of Morgan County, and this year, senior centers in Lawrence and Cullman County were invited as well.

As McFarland examined a 66-year-old male patient, he asked him if he had any previous screenings for aneurisms and told him males over the age of 65 who have a history of smoking tobacco should consult with their primary care doctors about scheduling a vascular exam. “As a prior smoker and a male, you are at risk for something called an aortic aneurism,” McFarland said. “What that is is when a main blood vessel in the body blows up like a balloon, and when that happens, it can actually rupture.” McFarland told him that quitting smoking was “the best thing you could have done.” McFarland said aortic aneurisms can usually be prevented if the signs are detected early. He said things to look for in a vascular exam are low pulse rates in the feet and if patients have any leg pain when they are walking.

“The next step would be connecting with their primary care doctor,” McFarland said. “The good thing is I know a lot of the primary care (doctors) around town and so I’ll send them a message that I saw their patient and, from my standpoint, what they need.” The mobile unit was launched in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the original 2020 launch date. Since then, the unit has traveled to most parts of Morgan County and even to Moulton, according to mobile unit coordinator Ashley Mort.

“Normally we do blood pressure, glucose screens, and we’re getting the material to do cholesterol tests,” Mort said. “Our main focus is the underserved rural areas where people don’t have access to health care and everything we do here is free.” The mobile unit also had a table inside the civic center, where the health fair was taking place, checking blood pressure and con-ducting glucose screens. Nursing students from Calhoun Community College were also there to assist the mobile unit, and students from the Hartselle Health Academy and Career Academies of Decatur were there to help.

Mort said the next scheduled visit for the mobile unit will be at Hartselle Depot Days on Sep. 21.