MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center employees celebrated a postponed National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 26 by forming a giant socially distanced and “human heart” to raise awareness of the No. 1 killer of American women —heart disease — and to support the millions of women affected by this condition.
Since COVID-19, there has been a decline in heart health screenings. Employees came together to encourage the community to get heart-health screenings and know their risk for heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke kill 1 in 3 women each year, yet more women still believe that their number one threat is breast cancer.
By supporting National Wear Red Day, the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center hopes to raise awareness of this disease, which is 80 percent preventable with proper education and lifestyle changes.
“The price of cardiovascular disease is high and too many women will pay that price with their life,” says David Shavelle, M.D. , medical director, Adult Cardiology & Interventional Lab, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Long Beach Medical Center. “Even worse, is that many people remain unaware of the scale of this silent killer and the fact that it affects some of our youngest most diverse populations. Losing even one woman is too many. I’m proud that we have gathered here to ‘Go Red’ and raise awareness of the impact of heart disease and ultimately save the lives of women.”
