Mayor Declares February as Heart Health Month

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Published on February 12 2018 4:26 pm
Last Updated on February 12 2018 4:27 pm

(FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: LINDAY MURRAY AND JIM LEWIS; BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER, LAURA THULL, ANGELA KELLY, CRYSTAL HABING AND CORY HESS)

Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker has signed a proclamation designating February 2018 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 Mayor Bloemker as he signed the proclamation were staff members from HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s Cardiovascular Services and the Prairie Heart Institute at St. Anthony’s. Attending the signing were Angela Kelly, RN, St. Anthony’s Director of Surgical Services and Cardiology; Cory Hess, Nurse Practitioner from Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants; Crystal Habing, Secretary, Cardiovascular Services; Jim Lewis, Registered Technologist Radiography (RTR), Cath Lab; Linda Murray, RN; Laura Thull, RN, Cath Lab; and Sara Whitehall, Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS).

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. However, 80 percent of strokes are preventable and 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 O’Fallon, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.