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Guest Editorial: Reducing Heart Disease in Our Community -- Written by Pam Cross, RN, Community Wellness Manager at NMC
 Heart Disease continues to be the #1 cause of death in Franklin County. That could change – if we can change our status as having the highest rates of physical inactivity, the highest rates of obesity, and some of the highest rates of smoking in all of Vermont. Now is the time for each of us to get involved – by making changes to our personal habits – to help reduce the rate of deaths from heart disease in our community.
There are a number of initiatives which you can get involved in which will help your personal efforts to move more, eat well, and not smoke:
- Free Screenings & Advice Available! More than 1,700 local residents are now actively enrolled in CHIP – the Cardiovascular Health Improvement Program of the Center For Health & Wellness – and nearly 90% of them have already made one or more positive behavior changes to lower their risk for heart disease. At a community CHIP appointment, you can get FREE cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and body-mass-index screenings – as well as 30 minutes with a health professional to make a plan for reducing your personal risk for heart disease! To make an appointment for this FREE service, call Doris at 524-1219.
- Walkers Get Moving! This spring, the Center For Health & Wellness hosted a very successful community walking program. More than 200 walkers literally walked – or did other physical activity – for more than a quarter-million minutes! A Fall offering is about to begin – call Amy at 524-1296 to sign up!
- Achieve A Healthy Weight! Beginning in September, the Healthy Weight Support Group will meet at TWO different times on Mondays to help people achieve a healthy weight through healthier food choices and other strategies. These sessions are hosted by a Registered Dietitian from NMC’s Chronic Disease Department. For more information on the meetings, call Kay at 524-8847.
- Smokers Are Quitting! While quitting smoking can be challenging, it can be done and we can help. NMC’s Chronic Disease Department works with individuals (and groups) to help them quit. Eligible smokers may even qualify for free nicotine replacement! For more information, call Heidi at 524-8831 – or call the Vermont State Quit Line at 1-877-YES-QUIT (1-877-937-7848).
- Fit & Healthier Vermonters Obesity Pilot Program: Swanton has been selected for a pilot program on how a community can work together to reduce obesity in children. A planning group is currently meeting to define the initiative – watch the local media this fall for opportunities for your family to get involved! For more information on the planning of the pilot program, call Cindy at 524-1217.
- Revamped Health Outreach: To increase the focus on heart disease, expand the number of participants, and broaden the reach of the message, the annual “Health Fair” is being transformed. It will not be held this October. Rather, watch for a revamped format to come to both Franklin and Grand Isle Counties in the summer of 2007! For more information on the planning of the new outreach, call Pam at 524-1227.
If every one of us adopts simple, healthier habits, we can indeed reduce the impact of heart disease in Franklin County. Smoking, inactivity, and unhealthy food choices are literally killing us – by getting involved, we can live healthier, happier lives. We can do this together -- please join in!
This guest editorial appeared in the St. Albans Messenger on Saturday, August 5, 2006.
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