The public is invited to attend the ninth annual Hearts of Hope tree lighting ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 4 pm in the West Patient Tower Lobby of St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. Cardiovascular patient Robert Ray of Griffith, will share his personal story, and light the heart-decorated tree with lights that shine in honor of those whose lives have been affected by cardiovascular disease. The annual Hearts of Hope campaign raises funds for the Cardiovascular Research program at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System. The ceremony will feature an update on current advances in cardiovascular research by St. Mary Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon, Bradford Blakeman, MD, and remarks by Janice Ryba, hospital CEO.
The Cardiovascular Research program at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System works to improve the heart health of the community through education and the advancement of knowledge from clinical trials and studies. Building upon Community Healthcare System's vast experience in treating heart disease, the hospitals are working to improve local access to new treatments options available only through research. These initiatives have made it possible for the system's hospitals to participate in national research trials directed at better detection, treatments and the prevention of heart disease.
For more information on cardiovascular research being conducted at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System: St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Community Hospital in Munster or St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, log onto www.comhs.org/cardiovascular_research/.