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Mercy Medical Center Heart Health Campaign Proposal

Background

According to the FDA, heart disease is the number one killer of women in America

(FDA, 2018). Post-menopausal women are more at risk of death from heart disease than any

other groups (Agha, Loucks, Tinker, Waring, Michaud, Foraker, . . . Eaton, 2014). Mercy

Medical center in Redding has received accolades for the heart health care it provides on

numerous occasions, ranking in the top 10% in the nation in 2013 (Dignity Health, 2018). Mercy

Medical Center and Dignity Health has a large presence in the community and with an aging

population, 42.5% of people in Redding are over the age of 45, hearth health issues are

incredibly relevant to this community. Likewise, as of the 2010 census, Redding's population was

51% women (United States Census Bureau, 2011).

Proposal

Healthy behaviors can mitigate some of the risk of heart disease, making education an

increasingly important function of Mercy Medical Center (Agha, et al., 2014). Eating a healthy

diet, taking care of other medical conditions, knowing the signs of a heart attack and knowing

how to use aspirin are some of the healthy behaviors the public should be educated on to prevent

heart disease (FDA, 2018). Another heart healthy behavior is to seek preventative care at Mercy

Medical Center. By running a campaign that educates the public about hearth health, Mercy

Medical Center makes it clear that it cares about the members of its community. A campaign

would also build positive associations between hearth health and the care the community can

receive at the hospital.

The campaign will focus on three target demographics; women over 50, women under 50

and men over 30. Women over 50, or post-menopausal women are at a higher risk of heart

disease than any other group, making an educational campaign concerning heart health

particularly relevant for that demographic (FDA, 2018). Since this age group is most likely to
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suffer heart disease related issues, this demographic is more likely to be looking for a hospital to

care for those needs. Women under 50 are a more latent group, though still highly relevant.

Appropriate preventative care will more greatly benefit women who do not yet suffer from heart

disease, so an education campaign should interest them. Likewise, they most likely have post-

menopausal women in their lives who they care about and so may spread awareness of the

campaign to our most relevant demographic. The average age of men married for the first time in

the United States is 29 (Huffington Post, 2013). Men over the age of 30 are our least important

target public, but they need to know about heart healthy behaviors because of the women in their

lives. Aiming certain aspects of the campaign towards adult males will increase the number of

women we reach through our campaign.

Conclusion

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that heart disease related deaths

had been declining steadily, but have recently begun to increase again (CDC, 2016). This trend is

a concern, especially when we consider that it is largely preventable. A 2005 study conducted by

the CDC revealed that 92% of respondents “recognized chest pain as a symptom of a heart

attack” however, “only 27% were aware of all major symptoms” (CDC, 2018). Mercy Medical

Center has one of the top heart disease centers in the nation and must continue to take steps to

lead the health profession by example with the epidemic of heart disease. By launching an

education campaign, Mercy Medical Center can increase patient traffic, help its community and

inspire other health care companies to empower and educate.

Resources

Agha, Loucks, Tinker, Waring, Michaud, Foraker, . . . Eaton. (2014). Healthy Lifestyle and

Decreasing Risk of Heart Failure in Women: The Women's Health Initiative


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Observational Study: The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Journal of the

American College of Cardiology, 64(17), 1777-1785.

Borresen, K. (2013, November 14). 5 Good Reasons To Get Married While You're Young.

Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/married-

young_n_4227924.html

CDC. (2016, August 24). National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db254.htm

CDC. (2018, November 28). Heart Disease. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

Dignity Health. (2018, July 6). Heart Care. Retrieved from https://www.dignityhealth.org/north-

state/locations/mercy-redding/services/heart-care

FDA. (2018, February 20). Women's Health Topics - Heart Health for Women. Retrieved from

https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/WomensHealthTopics/ucm1

17974.htm

United States Census Bureau. (2011, May 05). 2010 Census Interactive Population Map (Text

Version) - U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0659920

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