Mayor Designates Heart Health Month

(FROM LEFT: RACHAEL WALKER, RN, BSN, AND SARA STONE, RN, BSN, ST. ANTHONY'S CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES; MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER; DR. JESSICA PRANGE, CARDIOLOGIST, PRAIRIE CARDIOVASCULAR CONSULTANTS; LISA BROWN, RN, PRAIRIE CARDIOVASCULAR CONSULTANTS; AND LEAH FINLEY, RN, BSN, ST. ANTHONY'S CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES MANAGER)

Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker recently signed a proclamation designating February 2016 as Heart Health Month.

The proclamation states that since cardiovascular disease, which are disorders of the heart and blood vessels, is the number one cause of death in the United States and since February is designated as American Heart Month by the American Heart Association to increase awareness of heart disease, signs and symptoms, prevention and treatment options, the Mayor proclaims February as Heart Health Month. With the proclamation, the Mayor urges all citizens to take steps to improve their heart health.

Joining the Mayor as he signed the proclamation were staff members from HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and Prairie Heart Institute at St. Anthony’s. St. Anthony’s was represented by Leah Finley, RN, BSN, Cardiovascular Services Manager; and Sara Stone, RN, BSN, and Rachael Walker, RN, BSN, St. Anthony’s Cardiovascular Services.  Jessica Prange, MD, Cardiologist; and Lisa Brown, RN, represented Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants.

Prairie Heart Institute at St. Anthony’s is encouraging people to learn more about heart health during the month of February, and to visit their doctor if they have any risk factors or are demonstrating signs or symptoms of heart disease. Risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes and pre-diabetes, a family history of early heart disease, and age. Being aware of these risk factors, particularly those which are controllable, and taking steps to improve your health, can help reduce your chance of a heart attack.

On average, one of every four deaths in America is related to Cardiovascular disease.  In addition, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the country. On average, someone in the United States dies from a stroke about once every four minutes. However, early detection of life-threatening heart disorders, stroke and other cardiovascular disease through testing procedures can help extend or save your life.

For more information about Prairie Heart Institute at HSHS St. Anthony’s, visit St. Anthony’s Web site at stanthonyshospital.org.  Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants, nationally-recognized as leaders in cardiovascular care, provide high quality cardiovascular care at all the hospitals in the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which includes HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.