Community Healthcare System’s 13th Annual Hearts of Hope spreads Awareness

Community Healthcare System’s 13th Annual Hearts of Hope spreads Awareness

St. Mary Medical Center of Hobart hosted the 13th annual Hearts of Hope program on Thursday as part of its effort to combat a major illness that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year: heart disease. Hearts of Hope is a month-long campaign to raise awareness and also to raise funds in support of cardiovascular research at Community Healthcare System. St. Mary Medical Center is one of three hospitals in the Northwest Indiana-based healthcare system.

The Hearts of Hope event on Thursday evening consisted of a tree-lighting ceremony, remarks by a guest patient and surgeon, and a performance by a children’s vocal group called Voices of Today.

St. Mary Medical Center CEO Janice Ryba said the Hearts of Hope event is a wonderful way to spread awareness about the importance of heart health.

“It’s great to hear true testimonials, especially from our patients, about the care they are receiving through Community Healthcare System,” Ryba said. “We hope to continue to educate the public and spread awareness about heart disease, as well as the advances in technology that we are bringing to our local communities.”

Ryba encouraged people to be aware of their health, and most importantly to take that awareness and put into effect in their daily lives.

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“Heart disease is a major killer in the United States," Ryba said. "It’s so important for each individual patient to be aware of their cholesterol levels and their blood pressure because they play a big part in heart disease and vascular disease. We want to educate the public and do screenings for early identification."

For Ryba, the annual Hearts of Hope is a heart-felt time to hear the personal stories and victories of former patients.

“For us, it’s the recognition of our local care, but most importantly, it’s the touching point of hearing testimonials from patients. It is very rewarding for our staff to hear and it reminds us of why we are here as a health entity,” she said.

The guest of honor for this year’s Hearts of Hope was Lowell resident Joseph Stephan, who told the audience that heart disease can happen unannounced. It is crucial to know the facts about the disease, he said.

“It’s important to understand the causes of heart disease. It could be high blood pressure, too much salt in our diet or too much stress in our daily life," Stephan said. "Before an event like this happens, you need to see your doctor for a check up or a cardiologist to maintain good health levels."

Stephan shared a personal story of his own experience with heart disease. He underwent heart surgery in December; the double bypass and aortic valve replacement were performed by cardiovascular surgeon Amjad Syed, M.D., who is a member of Community Healthcare System’s team of heart experts in the Advanced Heart and Vascular Institute.

“I want people to be aware of their health," Stephan said. "Once the surgery is over and you finished your rehab, you become more aware. It’s not the end of the world if you have to have the surgery, but good healthy maintenance is the best prevention."

Stephan emphasized the importance of healthier eating habits.

“We need to look at what we ingest because I think just a change in our diets helps everything in our body. It helps our digestive and respiratory systems, cholesterol and our glucose levels. Just putting a conscious effort in healthy eating would benefit everyone,” he said.

Following Stephan’s remarks, he, Ryba and Syed officially lit the Tree of Hope in the hospital’s West lobby. It will remain lit and on display for the rest of February.

For more information about the Advanced Heart and Vascular Institute of Community Healthcare System, visit comhs.org/heart.