Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas and General Health Corporation Create Mercy HeartScreenNow

Rogers, AR (October 29, 2006) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists heart disease and stroke as the first and third leading causes of death in Arkansas.

Rather than ignoring this glaring healthcare issue in the state, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas and General Health Corporation jointly announce that they have formed Mercy HeartScreenNow in an effort to make affordable preventative heart and vascular disease screenings conveniently available throughout Northwest Arkansas as well as parts of eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri.

"As the area's destination for health and healing, we are committed to providing our community with the opportunity for individuals to take ownership of their heart and vascular health," said George Flynn, CEO, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas. "Mercy looks forward to embarking on this new screening endeavor with our strategic partner, General Health Corporation."

"General Health Corporation is excited to partner with Mercy in the fight against cardiovascular disease. Mercy HeartScreenNow will lead the way in the early detection of cardiovascular disease by bringing the residents of Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas the highest quality and most comprehensive mobile heart and vascular screenings available," said Joe Blankenship, CEO, General Health Corporation.

Mercy HeartScreenNow is a mobile heart and vascular screening service that can be brought to any location, making this potentially life-saving screening convenient for the entire community. Screenings range from a painless, non-invasive three-point test – carotid artery ultrasound screening, aortic aneurysm ultrasound screening and leg circulation screening (PVD) – for $99 to a comprehensive ten-point screening for the low price of $299. And, as a special introductory offer, those individuals who register for the comprehensive ten-point screening at the Silver Summit on November 4th at the John Q. Hammons Center will receive their screening on either November 7th or 8th for just $99!

The importance of knowing the status of your heart and vascular health can not be understated according to Dr. Mary Bourland, Mercy cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon.

"The problem with heart and vascular disease is your first symptom could be your last," Bourland said.

The Mercy HeartScreenNow goal is simple – to positively affect the lives in our community by making comprehensive, convenient cardiovascular screening tests available at affordable price points in a caring and compassionate manner. To accomplish this, Mercy HeartScreenNow will soon be screening in locations throughout our community as well as making the mobile service available to selected corporate, not-for-profit, education, religious and civic organizations. The community screening days will be announced soon. If you represent an organization that would like to be considered for a private screening day, contact Tim Loveless at (479)-254-1060.

About Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas

Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas, a not-for-profit, faith-based health system, provides healthcare services to residents in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. The System includes St. Mary's Hospital, The Gardens at Osage Terrace Assisted Living Facility and Mercy Medical Clinics in 22 locations throughout northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. Mercy is currently constructing a state-of-the-art medical campus just east of Interstate 540 off of New Hope Road in southwest Rogers. When completed in January 2008, the campus will include a 350,000-square-foot medical center with 200 beds and a medical office building to accommodate 90 physicians.

About General Health Corporation

General Health Corporation (GHC) is an Arkansas based company whose mission is to promote the prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease through education and mobile health screening services. GHC has led the mobile screening industry in the delivery of immediate, on-site screening results as well as developing a proprietary Stroke and Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) that incorporates select screening data to give an individual their risk of a cardiovascular event in the next 5 and 10 years.