Vasamed to Participate in Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program
Posted on: Thursday, 22 October 2009, 10:02 CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, November 7, 2009 Vasamed Inc., provider of diagnostic technologies that detect peripheral arterial disease in patients with diabetes, will partner with the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP) in its mission to help African Americans identify the connection between peripheral arterial disease (PAD), diabetes, obesity and hypertension through early detection and referral to appropriate medical resources. Vasamed will supply the program with its SensiLase® System to conduct peripheral arterial tests for its upcoming one-day clinics that will offer free screening to African American men at black owned barbershops throughout the Los Angeles region. African American men are at a higher risk for peripheral arterial disease, diabetes and hypertension. Providing health screening at a point-of-gathering and friendship - the black barbershop - is the brain child of Dr. Bill Releford.
"It is estimated that one in three of the 20 million Americans with diabetes also have peripheral arterial disease. Half of the 8-12 million Americans have undiagnosed PAD with rates much higher within underserved populations throughout the US - especially African Americans," said Paulita LaPlante, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vasamed Inc. "We are very pleased to support Dr. Bill Releford and the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program to extend lower leg vascular assessments through these outreach initiatives. The SensiLase technology can detect diminished blood flow to the legs that is common in diabetics and that can often lead to ulcers and amputations. Early identification of PAD can significantly improve a patient's ability to understand their disease and take personal steps to increase exercise, alter diet and stop smoking in order to reduce the complications of this illness. Together with Dr. Releford, we can make a real difference in the lives of the men at high risk of PAD and diabetes via coordinated testing, simple exam and basic history taking."
Founded in 2007 by Dr. Bill J. Releford, D.P.M. of Inglewood, California, the BBHOP addresses health care disparities among African Americans. Dr. Bill Releford is a podiatric surgeon who specializes in Diabetic Amputation Prevention to help reduce the high number of diabetes-related amputations in high-risk populations. The mission of the BBHOP is to empower African American men to better understand PAD, diabetes and hypertension and how it is related to obesity and smoking so that they can take a greater role in preventing disease and complications. For the first time ever, BBHOP, Vasamed and glucose monitoring and service company Entra Health Systems (EHS) will prospectively collect information about these diseases, lifestyle and health information in a significant population of African American men and electronically upload all the data into one searchable database via EHS' telehealth platform.
Vasamed will support the testing sites by providing the SensiLase System, the only perfusion assessment product of its kind to also work in combination with a real-time online data collection network to securely upload and manage diabetic foot and vascular information using the SensiLase PC at the point of care in the physician's office, lab or clinic. The SensiLase System data can be easily accessed by all the physicians involved in the care of the epidemic numbers of patients with combined diabetes and peripheral arterial disease thus improving healthcare communication and disease management.
About Vasamed, Inc.
Vasamed, Inc. specializes in noninvasive diagnostic tools for identifying critical circulatory conditions. Their technologically advanced products can help improve patient outcomes by quickly, cost-effectively and noninvasively measuring hemodynamic parameters in a clinic or office-based setting.
SOURCE Vasamed, Inc.
Source: PR Newswire
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