Emory
Healthcare Puts Its Heart Into American Heart Association Heart Walk
ATLANTA - Emory
is known all over the world as a leader in researching and treating
cardiovascular disease - and Emory Healthcare employees from all departments
are showing they want to help fight heart disease, too. Over 2,000 have
signed up to raise money for the American Heart Association Heart Walk
on Saturday, November 16th, at Turner Field. In addition, dozens of
patients whose lives have been touched by Emory cardiologists are also
participating in the fundraising walk.
"We are delighted to support
this event because it not only raises money to fight heart disease but
it also promotes one of the basic ingredients of a healthy lifestyle,
namely regular exercise," says cardiologist Douglas Morris, M.D., Director
of the Emory Heart Center.
One of the nation's fastest-growing
walking events, the non-competitive American Heart Association Heart
Walk (which also features a 10K run and a 5Kwalk/run) encourages companies
to form teams of employees, family members and others. Team members
raise money to fight heart disease and stroke by collecting donations
from friends, neighbors and coworkers, then participate in the American
Heart Association Heart Walk.
John Fox, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Emory Healthcare, is leading the Emory team.
"The Emory community is wholeheartedly
and enthusiastically supporting this most worthwhile event. In fact,
we expect to exceed our goal of 20% employee participation within each
facility/organization of Emory Healthcare with each walker raising at
$100 in donations for the American Heart Association," says Mr. Fox,
Emory Healthcare Chair for the American Heart Walk. "I am very proud
of the way that Emory Healthcare employees have responded to this effort.
We are also excited and appreciative of the support we've received from
Emory patients, who are an important part of our Emory Healthcare family.
We are all united in supporting the American Heart Association in our
common goal -- to defeat heart disease and stroke."
The Emory HeartWise Risk
Reduction Program has an American Heart Association Heart Walk team
that includes 20 HeartWise patients, many of whom have either suffered
heart attacks or other cardiovascular events, as well as over 40 Heartwise
staff members.
"Our program is very excited
to have so many patients who are true survivors walking as part of our
team for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. These individuals
have accomplished so much to get to this point in their recovery," says
Kathy Lee Bishop Lindsay, Manager of the Emory HeartWise Risk Reduction
Program. "We are all so proud of each and everyone of them -- we just
hope the staff members on our American Heart Association Heart Walk
team can keep up with them!"
Doug Halleen, Vice President
of Field Services for the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the American Heart
Association, is optimistic that this year's American Heart Association
Heart Walk will be an even greater success than last year's.
"We believe we will reach
our goal of $750,000 and also touch many lives by this event," says
Mr. Halleen. "We appreciate the generosity of companies like Emory Healthcare
that have helped make American Heart Association Heart Walks such successes
in the past and make it possible for the American Heart Association
to fulfill its goals of reducing heart disease and stroke by 25 % by
2010."
The American Heart Association
Heart Walk event at Turner Field begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November
16th; the walk/run starts at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit
the Emory Healthcare web site at www.EmoryHealthcare.org.
The Emory HeartWise Risk
Reduction Program is designed for anyone who has experienced a heart
or circulatory event or for anyone who is considered "at risk" for heart
disease. Emory Heart Center physicians and other health professionals
offer individualized risk assessment followed by a carefully monitored
program of exercise, nutrition and education to help lower heart disease
risk. To find out more about the HeartWise program, call 404-778-2850.
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