BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A simple heart scan that Broward County leaders are working to offer for free is already being credited with saving lives — including that of a former Los Angeles Dodgers player.
Steve Sax told Broward County commissioners that he nearly skipped the test before a friend encouraged him to go.
“That test saved my life,” he said. “I learned that I was 95 to 99 percent blocked in my four major arteries. I was told I needed open-heart surgery and a quadruple bypass immediately.”
The scan, known as a cardiac CT angiography, uses X-rays to produce detailed images of the heart and blood vessels. County officials say the goal is to detect problems early, before they become life-threatening.
“With technology now, there’s a test that can look straight into your arteries. It shows how much heart plaque and soft plaque you have it beats the stress test,” said Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen.
The pilot program launched in the summer of 2023 under Bogen, who was then a county commissioner. Commissioners approved $10 million for the initiative, which resumed after he took office as mayor in the fall of 2025.
The new program is now partnered with the Florida Panthers Foundation, which has pledged $1 million over five years, with testing provided by the Cleveland Clinic.
Bogen said the effort is personal, pointing to his own experience with heart disease.
“My mom was a lady in her early 70s who traveled, walked, exercised, got around,” he said. “One day, out of the clear blue, with no symptoms, no notice, she went down, had a heart attack, and within 10 minutes, she was gone.”
He said the scan also saved his own life.
“I went for the test myself. They said I had a 70 percent blockage — soft plaque in my widowmaker,” Bogen added.
Broward is the first county in the country to offer a free cardiac CT scan.
Since its launch, about 7,000 people have been scanned. Officials say half showed heart-related concerns, and 350 others had unrelated medical issues discovered.
Bogen said he hopes to expand the program statewide and eventually nationwide.
“To me there’s nothing more rewarding than hearing we saved someone’s life,” he said.
To qualify for the free scan, residents must live in Broward County, be 45 or older, and complete an online application.
Click here if you would like to donate to the American Heart Association as part of Local 10 anchor Jenise Fernandez’s “Woman of Impact” campaign.
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