By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

ALABASTER—Heart South’s care stretches beyond just the heart. On Feb. 19, Heart South opened its new Vein Center at Shelby Baptist Hospital.

The Vein Center, Heart South’s newest department, applies the group’s cardiovascular expertise to treat venous disease, which occurs when vein valves in the legs become dysfunctional. Venous disease impedes the flow of blood through the legs and back up to the heart and can result in swelling, leg pain, cramping and loss of mobility.

“The blood system that pumps through the heart pumps through the legs,” Heart South Marketing Coordinator Kim Hess said. “All the vein systems are connected to the heart…When our doctors are looking at a vein, they’re looking at the whole system.”

Doctors at the Vein Center treat venous disease through an array of services designed to correct blood flow and relieve symptoms of the disease.

“We go in and we fix that, we redirect the blood to the main system,” Hess said. “We give (patients) back their mobility.”

The Heart South Vein Center is staffed by specialized cardiologists J. Hudson Segrest, Clifton Vance, John McBrayer and David Fieno, certified nurse practitioner Jennifer Daggett and vascular and endovascular surgeon Steve M. Taylor.

The center is located in Alabaster at 1022 First Street North, suite 400 in the 1022 Tower on the Shelby Baptist campus.

The Vein Center is Heart South’s fourth location, and second Alabaster location. The group also has clinics in Clanton and Sylacauga. Heart South currently has 10 doctors and five nurse practitioners on staff.

For more information about Heart South and the Vein Center, visit Heartsouthpc.com or call 663-5775.