This past February served as a pivotal time for drawing attention to Women and Heart Disease. Beginning on February 4, National Wear Red Day for Women, most national cardiology associations hosted a myriad of special events and public education campaigns.
Throughout February there were Heart Day Health Fairs that combined screenings, education programs, and fun events. WomenHeart, The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease launched the Red Bag of Courage program in Washington, DC, and provided bags filled with educational and inspiration materials to be distributed to women heart patients across the country. WomenHeart also created public service ads for women's magazines showing dramatic portraits of female surgery survivors revealing their scars.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) featured The Heart Truth: The Red Dress Collection 2005 that unveiled new red gowns by over 20 designers and worn by distinguished celebrities such as Christie Brinkley, Paula Abdul, Venus Williams, Sheryl Crow, and Mariel Hemingway, just to name a few. First Lady Laura Bush serves as The Heart Truth ambassador and opened the February 4 event.
The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) continues to create products and resources for members and their hospitals focusing on heart health for women. The American Heart Association also creates tools for the healthcare provider by distributing physician tool kits to help in getting the word out. The American Heart Association also arranged for national landmarks to be illuminated in red, including the Niagara Falls, the Washington Monument, and the Seattle Space Needle.
On February 20, 2004, the Sister to Sister: Everyone Has a Heart Foundation organized health fairs across the country in major cities such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia. Their mission is to help women learn about heart disease and ways to prevent it, and to provide free heart health screenings. Approximately 15,000 women attended the health fairs and more than 3000 women received heart disease screenings.
The PCNA has been working all through the year in its campaign to touch the lives of women. Our members have been busy spreading the word about Women and Heart Disease to over 1500 individuals since the program began in February 2004. Members have presented Tell a Friend About Women and Heart Disease at such venues as book clubs, evening church groups, local PCNA Chapter meetings, senior centers, and Mended Hearts Club. Of course, we invite you to be creative in choosing your audience. Our goal is to reach as many women as possible with this very important message. For presentation ideas, slides, and materials, visit http://www.pcna.net.