GuideStone Financial Resources (formerly Annuity Board) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has joined with Life Line Screening (LLS) to make high quality screenings conveniently available to Southern Baptists at an affordable rate. The health screenings will be available to all Southern Baptist employees, as well as all members of Southern Baptist churches.
The mission of LLS, the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings, is to make people aware of undetected health problems and encourage them to seek follow-up care with their physicians.
GuideStone Financial Resources is pleased to make LLS services available to Southern Baptists, said Doug Day, executive officer of Benefit Services for GuideStone.
“We believe this program will reinforce our commitment to help Southern Baptists take charge of their own health.”
Screenings scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries that can lead to stroke, aortic aneurysms that can lead to a ruptured aorta, and hardening of the arteries in the legs, a strong predictor of heart disease. Also offered for men and women is a bone density screening to assess their risk for osteoporosis.
The tests are fast and accurate, providing results for participants to review with their own personal physicians.
Life Line Screening does not replace your personal physician, Day said. The screenings simply try to provide you and your doctor with more information that can help to reduce your risk for complications from vascular disease and osteoporosis.
All Southern Baptists are eligible to participate in Life Line Screenings at GuideStone’s reduced rates.
Interested individuals in the Life Line Screenings can call them directly at 1-800-403-7417 for information about screenings in their area.
LLS normally performs screenings at community sites such as churches or community centers. In 2004, LLS will hold more than 14,000 screening events across the country and expect to hold more than 17,000 events in 2005.
To date, more than 2 million people have been screened.
Because more than half of the individuals who have strokes will show no symptoms prior to the attack itself, it is important to have a screening to help identify problems before symptoms arise and avoid a potentially serious problem in the future.
Individuals who take advantage of the preventive health screenings made available through LLS may be able to identify warning signs of serious illness before a problem occurs, Day said.
“We want to motivate individuals to become aware of signs and symptoms of health problems and to modify their lifestyles for personal health and wellness.”
The results of the screenings are mailed directly to the individual. If the results are within the normal range, he or she receives a letter explaining the results along with a written report to share with the individual’s doctor. If the LLS recommends further evaluation, the individual will receive a written report of the screening results and pictures of the arteries that were scanned so that he or she can follow up with a visit to a personal physician.
LLS will also provide the individual with a detailed receipt that can be submitted to his or her insurance company to determine coverage.
LLS offers high quality screenings through the use of state-of-the-art Doppler color flow ultrasound technology, the same ultrasound technology found in most hospitals.
All LLS sonographers are highly skilled and experienced and have completed formal training programs in ultrasound and clinical rotations in a hospital environment. Results are read and interpreted by a board-certified physician.
LLS doctors include vascular surgeons, cardiologists and radiologists.
SBC messengers recently approved changing the Annuity Board’s name to GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention and authorized use of the new name pending the second vote in June 2005.
For more information about GuideStone, visit www.thealabamabaptist.org and go to resources, then click on links, then click on Southern Baptist links and then click on Annuity Board. (BP)
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