Health Services

What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disorder in which certain nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord slowly die. The first sign of ALS is often weakness in one leg, one hand, the face, or...

What is Alzheimer's Disease? Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that causes dementia, the degeneration of intellectual functions such as memory. Alzheimer’s and related conditions can have a particularly devastating effect on a person’s quality of life. And though it receives much less attention than other...

Behavioral Health Services for Southeast Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky When behaviors and emotions compromise medical conditions, a psychologist can offer alternative treatments and solutions to help improve your quality of life. Saint Francis Healthcare System offers a full range of Behavioral Health services to ensure your...

Breast Cancer Facts Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women: One in eight women will develop breast cancer sometime in her life. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent. Signs of breast cancer include a lump or an area of...

A Comprehensive Breast Health Center The Saint Francis Breast Care Center provides education, examinations, testing and treatment at its state-of-the-art facility, which offers both comfort and convenience. The American College of Radiology (ACR) designates the Saint Francis Breast Care Center as a Breast Imaging Center of...

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the best food for a baby. Rich in antibodies, breast milk can help protect newborns from bacteria and viruses after they are born. One of the most amazing aspects of a mother’s body is that milk production...

Every person is at risk for cancer, and each person's risk is different. Many factors affect a person’s cancer risk, including genetics, gender, age, family history and others. Most cancer occurs by chance, or may be related to lifestyle choices like smoking, not exercising or...

You're Not Alone When you or a loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming. You're not alone in this fight. The Saint Francis Cancer Institute team is here with you and your family every step of the way, from initial diagnosis through remission....

What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation? Cardiac Rehab is a medically monitored exercise and lifestyle education program that assures optimal recovery after a heart procedure. Sessions are supervised by specially trained Cardiac Rehab nurses and include exercise and education about nutrition, lifestyle changes and heart medications. Cardiac Rehab...

Importance of Testing for Heart Disease Approximately 80 million Americans have some form of heart disease. Saint Francis Medical Center’s Heart Hospital uses the latest tests and procedures to diagnose heart-related disorders before they become fatal. Stress tests, blood pressure monitoring, and angiography are effective diagnostic...

Saint Francis Medical Center's Heart Hospital in Cape Girardeau offers several procedures and treatments for cardiovascular disease. Our experienced cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, cardiologists, nurses and technologists work 24 hours a day to perform bypasses, insert stents and pacemakers, and replace valves. We use the...

Development and Milestones Your Saint Francis provider will ask questions about your newborn, and he or she will observe the baby to get an idea of the infant’s development. By this visit, your newborn is likely doing some of the following: Blinking at a bright lightTrying to...

About our Gastrointestinal Laboratory The highly specialized technology available in the gastrointestinal laboratory (GI Lab) is helping doctors better diagnose and manage gastrointestinal disease with less-invasive procedures. Scientific breakthroughs like these play a key role in the future-forward approach to inpatient and outpatient GI care at...

About the Center for Joint Replacement & Revision If painful hips and knees are limiting your mobility and quality of life, joint replacement could be the answer. At the nationally recognized Center for Joint Replacement & Revision at Saint Francis Medical Center in southeast Missouri, an...

Medical Care During Labor and Delivery The following are some of the more common medical procedures used at Saint Francis Medical Center during labor and delivery. External Monitoring External monitoring is used on the outside of your body. Two disks are placed on your abdomen. They may be...

The state-of-the-art Children’s Center at Saint Francis Medical Center provides compassionate, comprehensive care to children of all ages (17 and under) suffering from various illnesses and injuries. Parents can rest assured their children will receive high-quality medical and surgical care from leading specialists who understand...

Colon Cancer Prevention Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women in the United States, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men and women combined. Colon cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer...

What is a CT scan?What is a 64-Slice CT Scan?How does a CT Scan work?How long does a CT Scan take?What can I expect at my exam?What will the CT Scan tell me?When will I receive my results?How do I prepare for the exam? What is...

The Critical Care Center in Cape Girardeau The Critical Care Center at Saint Francis Medical Center is a state-of-the-art unit equipped with the latest medical technology and is staffed by highly trained medical professionals who specialize in caring for critically ill patients. The Critical Care Center...