For Immediate Release: August 6, 2008

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org

St. John’s Hospital to offer free health screenings at Illinois State Fair

Robotic surgery system on display August 8 - 10

SPRINGFIELD — St. John’s Hospital will once again provide free health screenings, demonstrations and information as part of the Senior Expo at the Illinois Building during the 2008 Illinois State Fair.  A highlight this year will be a demonstration of the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical system during the first three days of the Fair.

Each day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the fair, St. John’s will offer various health screenings. There will be free body fat measurements, blood pressure screenings, lung, psychological and heart risk assessments offered each day.  Bone density screenings will be given every day, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. There will also be cholesterol and glucose screenings held on August 8, 9, 11, 13 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Derma scan cancer screenings will be held on August 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on August 8, 9 and 10, visitors to the Illinois Building can interact with the da Vinci Robotic Surgical system.  The robot seamlessly translates a surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements into precise, real-time movements of surgical instruments inside the patient.  At St. John’s, minimally invasive surgical procedures such as hysterectomies and prostatectomies can be performed using da Vinci resulting in quicker recovery and less pain to the patient.  

 For more information on da Vinci at St. John’s, visit www.st-johns.org/davinci.