Sep. 24--The American Heart Association and Wesley Medical Center announced Tuesday that they are forming a partnership to improve women's heart health.
The partnership means Wesley will be the Heart Association's local Go Red for Women sponsor for the next three years. The Go Red campaign is the Heart Association's national effort to increase awareness about how heart disease affects women.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for women, nationally and in Kansas. In 2006, the most recent year for which numbers are available, 5,831 Kansans died of heart disease; about 54 percent of them were women, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Paul Petitte, Wesley's vice president for marketing and public relations, said the sponsorship fits with Wesley's Healthy Heart Initiative, an effort to streamline cardiovascular care from emergency rooms to rehabilitation. Wesley's new Cardiovascular Center is scheduled to open in January.
Petitte said Wesley's Go Red efforts will include educating staff members and the community about women and heart disease.
The Go Red for Women national campaign has four parts: public education to increase awareness of heart disease, professional education about how heart disease differs in women, educating lawmakers about heart disease, and raising funds for awareness, education and research.
In Wichita, Heart Association activities include the Crystal Heart Gala, the Go Red for Women Luncheon and the Start Heart Walk.
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