Good Samaritan to Celebrate American Heart Month

Good Samaritan is dedicating the month of February to your heart. Heart health is an important aspect of a person’s overall well-being and should be a top priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease kills almost 700,000 people in the United States each year; amounting to one in every four deaths in this country. It is also the leading cause of death in men and women. Knowing your risk for heart disease is the first step in keeping your heart healthy.

To help learn your risk, Good Samaritan offers a heart health assessment on its website. Those who visit gshvin.org/heart can choose to take the free online heart health assessment. The short assessment will display various questions asking for a person’s health information to determine their heart disease risk and the age of their heart. The results can be printed for the user to share with their health care provider. Those who do not have a primary care provider will be provided information on how to schedule with a Good Samaritan provider.

“These online tools and screenings are vital to helping our patients identify their risk for heart disease,” said Christopher Ross, Director of Cardiology. “Our services, which consist of diagnostic testing, specialty clinics and cardiac rehabilitation, allow us to diagnose and treat a wide range of cardiovascular issues for patients of all ages.”

Vascular screenings are also available to the community at the Dayson Heart Center. Vascular disease is a serious condition that affects the circulation of blood flow within the arteries and veins. If not treated, vascular disease can lead to serious health issues such as amputation, stroke, aneurysm, or even death. These three screenings can be purchased together for only $69, or separately for $23 each. The screenings include a carotid artery ultrasound, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, and a peripheral artery disease screening. To make an appointment or learn more information, patients are encouraged to call the Dayson Heart Center at 812-885-3243.

The Dayson Heart Center at Good Samaritan is also raising heart health awareness by celebrating National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week from February 13-19.

Cardiac rehabilitation aides in the reduction of potentially devastating effects of heart disease and improves the quality of life for patients and their families. Cardiac Rehabilitation Week, initiated by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), coincides with both Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month in an effort to draw greater national attention to heart health.

Another way Good Samaritan is promoting heart health is by participating in National Wear Red Day®. On Friday, February 3, Good Samaritan employees will be wearing their red in support of raising awareness of heart disease in women.

The American Heart Association created National Wear Red Day in 2004 with a mission to dismiss myths and raise awareness of heart disease and stroke as the number one killer of women. To support heart health in women locally, Good Samaritan employees are encouraged to wear red. Photos of employees will be shared on the hospital Facebook and Instagram pages throughout the day. Community members are also welcome to wear red and share their photos on social media using the hashtag #WearRedDay.