On Wednesday, January 31, Methodist Hospitals held free blood pressure screenings in the cafeteria of its Southlake Campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Employees, patients, visitors and the general public were invited to stop in for the screenings..
February is American Heart Month, and Methodist Heart and Vascular Institute staff, like healthcare workers across the country, is emphasizing the importance of heart health with education and screenings.
"Today we are kicking off Heart Month with screenings and we will have a number of activities going on throughout the month. In our cafeteria, several days a week we will be serving heart-healthy meals, and we will be having some educational sessions along with that. It is really a time that everyone within the healthcare community can spread information about how to best take care of our hearts,” said Anthony Stull, chest pain coordinator at Methodist Hospitals.
“Later in the month, we will also offer a virtual seminar by one of our physicians that will provide education on atrial fibrillation, which is the heart arrhythmia that can cause long-term problems in people, said Stull.
“Today is very important because we are focusing on employees, patients and visitors’ heart health risk factors. We are evaluating their blood pressure and their pulse as well as looking at some of the life style and family history factors that can increase their risk of heart disease.,” said Stull. “We have a form everyone fills out that will give us an idea of what the risk factors are, and then we are able to provide them with additional education as well as a potential referral if we think that something is a little more critical."
Methodist Hospitals staff want to encourage community residents to take their heart health seriously and Stull says that oftentimes, it just takes a simple check-up with your doctor to reactivate that healthy mindset.
“A woman came in today because a doctor told her to keep track of her blood pressure. That is an example of the reasoning behind these blood pressure screenings. There may be some people that need this for motivation to keep track of their health and stay on top of things, such as controlling their blood pressure,” said Stull.
Stull, along with all healthcare workers is committed to educating the public and encouraging people to make the lifestyle changes they need to maintain good health.
For more information visit: methodisthospitals.org.