News from Eisenhower Health:
Eisenhower Focuses on Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Joins CDC’s Million Hearts Initiative
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new data demonstrating a slowing of progress in reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease. Most interesting among the new findings are adults — ages 35 to 64 — are now the most affected group. Eisenhower Health’s Population Health Initiative is focusing its efforts to reduce heart attacks and strokes, the first and fifth leading causes of death in the United States. By participating in the CDC’s Million Hearts initiative, Eisenhower Health is helping to contribute to the prevention of one million cardiovascular events within the next five years, a goal set by the CDC. Eisenhower’s Cardiovascular Physician Champion, David Choe, MD, says, “Small changes sustained over time can improve our patients’ cardiovascular health.”
Heart disease and stroke remain leading causes of death, disability, and healthcare spending in the U.S., and yet many are preventable. The CDC estimates nearly 16 million heart attacks, strokes, and related heart-threatening events could happen by 2022. Public health, healthcare professionals, communities, and health care systems can coordinate efforts to keep people healthy, optimize care, and improve outcomes within priority populations, like 35-64 year olds. Some progress is being made, but not nearly enough considering 80% of premature heart disease and strokes are preventable (CDC 2018).
Focusing on implementing a variety of strategies to improve cardiovascular health, Eisenhower is working with their food service partners to improve the nutritional quality of foods served in their cafeteria and vending machines. For example, the hospital has increased offerings of lower sodium meals and snacks for patients, visitors and staff. On the recent changes made to increase fresh fruits, vegetables, and lower sodium food options, Dr. Patricia Cummings, Epidemiologist and Population Health Initiative Co-Director, Eisenhower Health, states, “Within this landscape exist important opportunities to transform food environments through system-level and environmental changes.” She says, “Studies indicate that nearly 80 percent of the sodium people consume comes from restaurant or processed foods, so that gives us very little choice in reducing our sodium intake, which may help reduce blood pressure. At Eisenhower Health, we want to give this choice back to the consumer.”
Another important tip from Board Certified Cardiologist Dr. Choe is to remember your ABCS: Aspirin use when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol control, Smoking cessation. To work toward achieving excellence in the ABCS and cardiac rehabilitation, Eisenhower’s Population Health Initiative is focusing on improving blood pressure control in the Coachella Valley, helping the CDC to achieve it’s goal.
About Eisenhower Health
Eisenhower Health is a not-for-profit, comprehensive health care institution that includes the 463-bed Eisenhower Hospital, the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at Eisenhower and the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower. The Betty Ford Center is also located on the Eisenhower campus. Eisenhower is renowned for its Centers of Excellence in Orthopedics, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience and Oncology. Situated on 130 acres in Rancho Mirage, and with outpatient clinics across the valley, Eisenhower Health has provided a full range of quality medical and educational services for more than 45 years for residents and visitors to the greater Coachella Valley. Eisenhower has earned ANCC Magnet Recognition® for professionalism in nursing and excellence in patient care. The first accredited teaching hospital in the valley, Eisenhower trains physician residents in both Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. For more information, visit EisenhowerHealth.org or follow Eisenhower Health on social media.