Forsyth Medical Center 
2005 News Releases
Three-Year FMC Public Awareness Effort Increases Women's Awareness of Risk for Heart Disease
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March 16, 2005 Contact: Freda Springs, Media and Public Relations, (336) 718-4050 |
Women throughout Northwest North Carolina are significantly more aware today of their risk for heart attack and are more likely to seek early diagnosis and treatment for heart disease following a three year public awareness effort conducted by Forsyth Medical Center (FMC).
The FMC effort was developed in response to a survey of women age 40 to 70 in Forsyth, Davidson, Surry, Stokes and Yadkin that found women in general did not perceive themselves to be at risk of heart disease or participate in heart screenings or other heart disease prevention programs.
"Our research revealed a real disconnect for women about their risk for heart disease," says Joanne Sherman, RN, Director of Nursing, Cardiovascular Services, at FMC. "So we developed an aggressive awareness campaign to educate women about this serious health issue and to change their behavior regarding prevention and treatment of heart disease."
The awareness effort, coordinated through FMC's Cardiac and Vascular Center and Sara Lee Center for Womens Health, included the placement of news and feature stories in local media, media advertising, direct mail, web site education, community health fairs, physician practice education and community awareness activities. In late 2004, FMC conducted a follow-up survey to determine the effectiveness of the awareness effort.
The most significant results include:
- A 50% increase in the number of women that now recognize heart disease as their greatest health threat, surpassing cancer
- Recognition by 85% of women that they have different warning signs of heart attack then men
- A 70% increase in the number of women who now participate in heart screening programs
- A 50% increase in the number of women who now self-monitor their cholesterol
- An increase to 93% of all women of the importance to seek medical help within 3 hours of experiencing heart attack warning signs
"This effort is one of a number of community outreach programs coordinated by Forsyth throughout our region," says Sallye Liner, FMC chief operating officer. "As a community medical center part of our mission is to reach beyond our physical campus and extend our resources into the communities we serve to prevent disease and improve health."
Part of FMC's heart disease community awareness activities was to establish a dedicated toll-free information line staffed by nurses to conduct heart-risk assessments over the phone and provide advice to women on whether to seek medical care.
"The campaign was designed to both raise awareness of heart disease in women and to encourage women to be proactive in keeping their hearts healthy," says Sherman. "Our goal was to get women to act, to understand risk factors such as high cholesterol and obesity, to be proactive in reducing their risk of heart disease and to seek immediate medical help should they experience the symptoms of a heart attack."
The three-year awareness effort included cardiologists, gynecologists, primary care physicians, consumers, businesses and the media. The survey results are based on 500 interviews with women in October 2001 and again in late 2004. In the first two months of 2005, more than 450 women have participated in heart disease screening programs coordinated by FMC.
