Love Your Heart, Febuary is American Heart Month
That, Demuth said, is why Trinity will host its annual Love Your Heart educational seminar and health fair on Monday, Feb. 22, from 5:30- 7 p.m.
The event will offer important information about heart disease, including ways to reduce your risk of getting it. Attendees will have the chance to get a variety of free health screenings and receive potentially life-saving advice from health professionals like Dr. Eric Charles Snyder, a doctor of nursing practice at Trinity.
The results from a community health needs assessment done last year by Healthy Tusc underscores the importance of the Love Your Heart event.
According to the study, 40 percent of the adults in Tuscarawas County have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, while more than a third are obese and/or have been diagnosed with high cholesterol.
All of those conditions are high risk factors for heart attacks and heart disease. Heart disease, according to the Ohio Department of Health, is the leading cause of death in Tuscarawas County.
“That’s why this event is so important,” Demuth said. “Love Your Heart offers valuable resources for anybody who has had heart problems, is at risk for heart problems and anybody who knows somebody who is at risk for heart problems.”
Love Your Heart will begin with a free health fair followed by informative presentations by several health care experts.
The health fair, which will open at 5:30 p.m., will include health screenings provided by the Adult Medical Assisting Program of the Buckeye Career Center, taught by Candy Fisher.
Screenings will include height, weight, blood pressure, body fat percentage, pulse rate, respiration rate and listening for heartbeat irregularities. Staff members from Trinity’s Diabetes Wellness Program will do diabetes risk assessment tests since diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease.
“The screenings are free and they are all optional,” Demuth said. “You can do just one or all of them.”
A team of certified nurse practitioners — Amy Bardall, Holly Gibbs and Katelyn Obermiller — will be available to discuss stress management, healthy eating and the importance of staying active.
“Where else can you go and have all of these wonderful free health screenings as well as access to certified nurse practitioners and other health professionals at no charge?” Demuth said.
The speaker program will begin at 6 p.m., following the health fair. Scheduled speakers are:
• Professionals from Trinity’s Vibrant Living mental health program for seniors, who will share tips about coping with stress, anxiety and depression.
• A professional from Trinity’s cardio pulmonary services department, who will discuss the various heart tests that a doctor might order — what they are, what to expect and how to prepare for them.
• Featured speaker Dr. Snyder will talk about how to make positive lifestyle changes to improve your heart health. He will conclude with a question and answer session.
All attendees will receive a small gift and will have chances to win door prizes. “We hope the community will come and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity,” Demuth said. “In addition to Love Your Heart, our community outreach coordinator, Kelly Bowe, has organized some other compelling free seminars.”
For example, a program about bullying will be held on Thursday, March 17 and a seminar about weight loss and diabetes prevention will be held on Thursday, April 21.
In addition to the free Love Your Heart event, Trinity provides extensive cardiac outpatient diagnostic testing. The hospital offers cardiac stress tests, echocardiograms, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, pacemaker insertion and monitoring, tilt table testing, sleep lab studies, ankle brachial index tests and more.
“Even if you have to go to elsewhere for major surgery, you can avoid the long drives by doing rehab and getting tested right here in your own community,” Demuth said.
Love Your Heart is free, but registration is required. You can register online at www.TrinityTwinCity.org or by calling 740-922-7450, ext. 2124. Trinity Hospital Twin City is located at 819 N. First St. in Dennison.