Why I Created ForgedWell: Bringing Cardiovascular Screening to the People Who Need It

I've spent more than 20 years working in vascular imaging and alongside vascular surgery. During that time, I've learned a lot about blood vessels, circulation, and the things that can go wrong when cardiovascular problems go unnoticed.

But I've also learned something else.

The people who work the hardest aren't always the ones who have the easiest time getting healthcare.

Think about the people working 10- or 12-hour shifts, rotating nights, weekends, manufacturing jobs, transportation, construction, and other physically demanding work. Add family responsibilities and everything else life throws at you, and scheduling one more appointment can feel like a job all by itself.

It's easy to put yourself last. I've seen it happen over and over again.

The tricky thing about cardiovascular health

You don't necessarily feel when something is changing inside your blood vessels.

Some cardiovascular conditions can develop without obvious symptoms. A person can feel fine, go to work every day, and have no particular reason to think anything is wrong.

That's one reason screening can be useful. It provides information about specific aspects of cardiovascular health that you might not otherwise have.

Depending on the screening, I may use ultrasound to look at arteries in your neck or measure your abdominal aorta. I may check circulation in your legs and feet using blood pressure measurements and specialized cuffs. I can also record your heart's electrical activity with a 12-lead EKG.

Each test looks at something different. Screening doesn't replace your doctor, and it doesn't diagnose every cardiovascular condition. It can, however, provide information that may help you decide what to discuss with your healthcare provider.

So why bring it to the workplace?

Because getting checked shouldn't have to mean rearranging your entire day.

That's the idea behind ForgedWell.

I bring the equipment and perform the available cardiovascular screenings right at your workplace. Instead of driving somewhere else and trying to fit another appointment into your schedule, you can take part onsite.

For employers, it offers a practical way to make cardiovascular screening available to their workforce. For employees, it makes taking that step a little more convenient.

Screenings can be arranged through an employer-sponsored program, an employee-paid option hosted at the workplace, or a shared-cost approach, depending on the arrangement.

Built for the people who keep everything moving

ForgedWell was created with working people in mind. The people who keep production moving, get goods where they need to go, respond when someone needs help, and do the jobs that can't simply wait until tomorrow.

I know I can't make everyone's schedule less hectic. I can't make every appointment convenient, either.

But I can bring cardiovascular screening closer to where people already spend their time.

And if making that one step easier helps someone get checked who might otherwise keep putting it off, then that's a good place to start.

That's what ForgedWell is about: bringing cardiovascular screening to the people who keep everything moving.