St. Claire HealthCare recently announced Dr. Ronald Kline will serve as the head of its Vascular Surgery Clinic.
Kline, a former Associate Professor and Vascular Program Director at Wayne State University, conducted private practice in Arizona for nearly 20 years before arriving in Morehead. He is also the Founder and Director of the S.A.V.E foundation, which aims to promote research in vascular and wound care.
Kline said patients in the St. Claire service area often had to travel to Lexington for specialized cardiovascular care in the past, but in the coming weeks, the hospital plans to offer a full vascular service line.
“Which means we will take care of all blood vessel problems, which are termed arterial, venous, and lymphatic, from the base of the brain to the tip of the toe, except those blood vessels that directly attach to the heart. In so doing, as we acquire the equipment and the additional personnel, this will allow St. Claire Hospital to provide 100% in-house vascular care to any patient who wants to come here,” said Kline.
Vascular disfunction can cause serious issues such as swelling, gangrene, immobility, and stroke. Kline said vascular disease is the most common health problem in the country, and its presence is only compounded through risk factors in Appalachian communities.
“It actually is the number one killer for patients in the United States. It’s not cancer, it’s not heart disease, it’s actually cardiovascular disease; and any place where there’s a high incidence of diabetes, and being overweight, and nicotine use, you have a high prevalence of vascular disease. And that’s basically Appalachia,” Kline said.
Kline said the Vascular Surgery Clinic at St. Claire will treat a variety of circulatory and venous diseases with outpatient testing, blood therapy, advanced wound care, surgeries, and preventative care. Officials anticipated the program will host multiple full-time vascular surgeons and offer 24/7 care in the near future.
More information on the Vascular Surgery Clinic, referrals, and treatment options can be found by calling the Vascular Surgery Clinic at 780-5533 or visiting st-claire.org/vascular.