Taking on the theme “Go Red,” Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital staff, physicians and volunteers added a little color to their traditional white scrubs, grey office attire, and blue uniforms Friday, Feb. 4 - all to promote awareness of heart health.                    

The push for heart education comes in celebration of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women Day,” designed to get  women to pay attention to their hearts, because heart disease and stroke are their No. 1 and No. 3 causes of death. The event was celebrated across the nation - kicking off February as American Heart Month.

Henry Mayo, employees, physicians and volunteers dressed in red and spent time learning about heart health at Fitness Friday – an exclusive Henry Mayo event.  More than 120 participants underwent basic screenings and received information about healthy snacks, how smoking can seriously increase your risk of heart disease and signs and symptoms of heart attacks in women. 

Each attendee was given a passport and asked to travel to six different heart health learning stations.  As participants stopped along their journey, they underwent blood pressure, height and weight and BMI analysis, as well as carbon monoxide measurements and collected heart stamps at each station. 

Participants were also given samples of healthy snacking, visited the area representative from the American Heart Association and most importantly got a better perspective on their own health standing.

Robert Horth, M.D., Cardiology was also on hand and in between games of Pin the Heart on the Cardiologist, he talked to attendees about heart health, - asking them questions about potential risk factors, medicines and healthy options.

It was really informative and a great way to get all this specific heart related information in one place many participants told the organizers.

"Fitness Friday" was created as a result of the 2004 community needs assessment meeting with the American Heart Association (AHA). AHA identified a need to educate women about risks and symptoms of a heart attack.

After learning that Henry Mayo staff is 81% female, a committee of nurses along with employees from cardiology, dietary, marketing and education assembled to put a program together to educate their own about heart risk. Committee members included: Dana Meyer, RN, Colleen Krieger, RN, Karen Jacobs, AHA, Denise Schaefer,RN, Clarissa Mantle, R.D., and Wanda Smith, R.N..

“The program was a tremendous success because of the participation by so many Henry Mayo staff, physicians and volunteers,” said Robert Roig, Friday Fitness Committee Chairman. “This could not have been possible without the motivation of the Fitness Friday Committee.”