From Danville Regional Health System
Better Health Magazine Archives

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the nation, and the incidence is even greater in Danville and the surrounding counties. That's why Danville Regional Health System supports a wide variety of educational and prevention programs to promote heart health and help people change their lifestyles. These programs are part of the Health System's ongoing commitment to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in this region.

Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence

A non-profit organization called the Consortium for Southeastern Hypertension Control (COSEHC) has developed Southeastern Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence to help reduce death rates from cardiovascular disease. Danville Regional Medical Center has been selected to become one of eleven Centers of Excellence throughout the Southeast. By creating partnerships with local healthcare providers, managed care organizations, public health officials, consumers, employers and academic centers, Danville Regional Medical Center will develop programs to address the specific cardiovascular needs of the region.

Michael Moore, M.D., a Nephrologist affiliated with Danville Regional Medical Center, is a founding board member of COSEHC. "We are developing better ways to improve the treatment of hypertension and other causes of cardiovascular disease, which is particularly prevalent in our region," said Dr. Moore. "Because we're taking a national problem and creating local solutions for it, the program is bound to be successful."

Partners in Education: Healthy Lifestyles

Since 1995, Danville Regional Health System has been partnering with local schools through a program called Partners in Education. Currently, Danville Regional Health System is working with Stony Mill Elementary School. After meeting with teachers and school officials, Danville Regional Health System developed a Healthy Lifestyles program to educate students about heart health.

Healthy Lifestyles is a curriculum-based program modeled after Heart Smart, but is different because teachers are given all the materials they need to incorporate the program into their classrooms. For example, students can use their math skills to calculate caloric intake or their body mass index. "We've developed a complete kit for each teacher to implement into lesson plans, including things the teacher can send home to parents to engage the family," said Kay Crane, Community and Media Relations Coordinator for Danville Regional Health System.

Heart at Work

Danville Regional Health System is partnering with local businesses to implement Heart at Work, a national program developed by the American Heart Association and sponsored by the Health Van Community Action Partnership (HVCAP). Participating organizations - including First State Bank, American National Bank, Danville Public Schools and Pittsylvania County Department of Social Sevices - have made a commitment to becoming cardiovascular risk reduction centers for their employees.

As members of HVCAP, Danville Regional Health System and the Pittsylvania/Danville Health District are acting as resources for support by training coordinators, providing speakers, performing health screenings and adding other enhancements to the program. "We hope the the more conscious our employees are of their health, the better they will be able to maintain it," said Sylvesta L. Jennings, Chairman & CEO of First State Bank. "When employees are healthier, chances are they will miss fewer days due to sickness and generally perform better on the job."

Search Your Heart

Traditionally, churches are centers of outreach to the community, making them good channels for reaching people who could be at risk for cardiovascular disease. That's why Danville Regional Health System is sponsoring Search Your Heart, a spiritually - and scripturally - based heart health education program developed by the American Heart Association.

"Our goal is for Search Your Heart and Heart at Work to be ongoing programs," said Kay Crane. "Danville Regional Health System is providing the initial support and resources and will continue to provide assistance as the program evolves." The program provides sermon ideas and educational materials and will help each church organize blood pressure screenings and invite special speakers. Participating congregations include Union Street Missionary Baptist Church and Tarpley's Chapel Baptist Church.

Heart Smart

It's never too early to start preventing cardiovascular disease. So, sixth-graders at Gibson Middle School are participating in Heart Smart, a classroom-based education program that teaches children about heart health. "We developed the program because we want to influence children as they begin making their own hoices and lead them to a lifetime of healthy habits," said Kay Crane.

Developed and sponsored by HVCAP, Heart Smart is incorporated into health and science classes and teaches the benefits of exercising and eating healthy foods.