Hospital’s Cardiac Diagnostic Unit Invites Public to Open House Events

The Cardiac Diagnostic Unit (CDU) at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will mark Healthy Heart Month in February by holding two Open House events, February 4th and 18th, between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, on the third floor of the hospital.

“As the number one cause of death for both men and women on our island and around the world, heart disease affects one in two Bermudians in their lifetime,” said June Belloquet, Clinical Leader of the CDU. “The services we provide are a vital part of healthcare in our community. We invite the public to attend one of our Open House events and learn about cardiac diagnostic testing.”

The busy unit performed almost 15,000 diagnostic tests last year, including electrocardiograms (ECG), 24 to 48-hour Holter monitoring, exercise stress tests, echocardiograms, pacemaker and defibrillator analysis, 24-hour automated blood pressure and electroencephalograms (EEG).

“Some of our patients and their relatives, as well as healthcare professionals who refer patients to us, don’t always understand what is involved in diagnostic testing procedures,” said Ms. Belloquet. “Inviting people to the unit for informal tours is a good way to educate the public about what to expect during a diagnostic test, what to wear to appointments and what to do in order to come prepared.”

With a staff of nine people, including six technicians, the CDU deals with just about every patient in Bermuda who has undergone a major or minor cardiac incident. In addition, a nurse educator works with patients who have been diagnosed with heart disease.

“We encourage anyone affected by heart disease to stop by the unit for a “walkabout” on either February 4th or 18th,” said Ms. Belloquet. “Being informed helps patients feel more comfortable and makes diagnostic procedures less intimidating.”

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