Harrison Medical Center is partnering with Mended Hearts, (www.mendedhearts.org) a national and community-based nonprofit organization focused on providing support for patients and families affected by heart disease, to start a chapter here in Kitsap County.
An informational meeting will be held at Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton, on April 2 for those who want to learn more about this proposed Kitsap County chapter. As the oldest peer-to-peer cardiac support group in the country, Mended Hearts partners with 460 hospitals and rehabilitation clinics across the United States.
Its 300 chapters and 20,000 volunteers touch the lives of Americans in 48 states, assisting patients and caregivers from diagnosis through recovery with social, emotional, and practical support.
Mended Hearts is recognized for its role in fostering a positive patient-care experience, and provides services to heart patients through visiting programs, educational forums, and support group meetings.
“Harrison Medical Center has had an open heart program in Kitsap County for the last 10 years, and thousands of patients have passed through these doors during that time,” said cardiothoracic surgeon William Reed, MD, FACS, FCCP. “Most of these patients continue to live in the community and carry out their normal activities.
“A Mended Hearts program allows them to meet, share their stories, and address concerns that affect all of them. It can provide reassurance for new patients who are facing an open heart surgery or a cardiac intervention. It fosters the education of patients old and new, keeps them vested in the institution that literally changed their lives, and allows them to give back to their community by helping others go through a very stressful and challenging time.”
All heart patients, loved ones, and caregivers are invited to attend this informational meeting.
At the meeting, dietitian and certified diabetes educator Kristen Fahnoe, RD, will present a talk entitled “Top 10 Foods for Heart Health You Probably Aren’t Eating.”
To learn more, visit mendedhearts.org or email Theresa Reed, Harrison cardiovascular care coordinator, at theresa.reed@harrisonmedical.org.
