Go Red For Women
February is "American Heart Month." Every year, Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital celebrates by participating in the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, designed to raise awareness of heart disease among women. Our nurses, who have been recognized with the magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, work with other departments in the Mount Sinai Health System to organize and host a "Go Red for Women" Community Heart Health Fair with free screenings.
"Our goal this Heart Month is to educate our communities and employees about the risk factors for heart disease, the number one cause of death of Americans," says Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System. "Although heart disease used to be thought of as a man's disease, now health care providers understand that women are at equal risk for this condition, especially as they get older. It's vitally important for the health care community to engage women in understanding that they are at risk for heart disease, and to empower them to take charge of their heart health by understanding their risk factors, and how to manage them."
The Go Red for Women screening gives Mount Sinai Health System employees the opportunity to take care of their own heart health and that of their coworkers. Typically, we offer screenings and education demonstrations for nutrition and diet, diabetes, stress management, smoking cessation, yoga and other relaxation techniques. We screen for a variety of issues including high blood pressure, blood cholesterol, weight, blood sugar (which might alert participants to pre-diabetes), and peripheral vascular disease.
"Our Go Red for Women screening is educational, but it's also fun," says Oliver. "Participants receive a ‘Passport' as they enter the fair, and take their passport with them as they visit a series of stations, where they receive health screenings and education. As they visit each station, the passport is stamped."