HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A series of special events during February are planned with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System in observance of American Heart Month.
The annual observance is sponsored each year by the American Heart Association in conjunction with the nations’ healthcare facilities.
To kick off the local observance, the Heart and Vascular Center Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Unit at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center will host an open house 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.
Those planning to attend should enter at the main entrance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where greeters will direct attendees to the Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Unit.
Also, representatives of the center will be available to respond to questions from the public.
Gift cards for utilizing the Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab unit will be available at a discounted rate during February. The cards can be used for 10 visits per month for the equipment/workout facility and are available to patients who have graduated from Phase II of the unit’s rehabilitation program.
Following the open house at 5:20 p.m. in the Pavilion on the Hutch Regional campus, Dr. Mike Hagley, MD FACC, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Lab at the Heart and Vascular Center at HRMC, will deliver a presentation entitled “Heart Attacks-Then and Now.” Topics covered in Dr. Hagley’s presentation will include the symptoms and causes of heart attacks and how treatments have changed over the years.
Dr. Hagley will be joined in his presentation by Todd Brown, a heart attack survivor, who will discuss his own experience and the successful treatments he received at HRMC.
Dr. Hagley’s presentation is free and open to the public. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and a complimentary box dinner will be served starting at 5 p.m.
Julie Ward, RN, MSN, Vice President for Patient Care Services at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said approximately 2,000 patients sought cardiovascular treatment at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center during 2015, which was a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
“Heart disease is on the rise throughout our service area, a statistic not uncommon for other geographic areas throughout the nation,” Ward said. “According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately one-fourth of all deaths during 2015 were connected to heart disease.”
“There was a time in our not-too-distant past when cardiovascular issues were perceived as an affliction reserved for those over the age of 50, but that too has changed as a growing number of younger Americans are dealing with conditions associated with the heart,” Ward continued. “As these trends continue, healthcare facilities, including Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, are challenged to remain abreast of new technology and advancements being made to treat the disease.”
Those unable to attend these events are invited to log on to the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System website at www.hutchregional.com along with the hospital’s social media channels, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Linkedin to access information on heart-related articles and heart-healthy recipes.