January 30, 2008

Mercy Plans Special Friday Event for Wear Red Day

Staff members and physicians at Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City will wear red on Friday, Feb. 1 to call attention to the fact that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

In conjunction with Wear Red Day, the Mercy Heart Center’s Red Dress Ambassadors will host a special event, a “redception” Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Mercy’s South (Fifth Street) Lobby. In addition to providing morning refreshments and offering those attending the event a chance to register for many door prizes, the ambassadors will also share important information about heart disease and reducing one’s risk for it. Sioux City Mayor Mike Hobart will kick off the event with a proclamation at 9:00 a.m.

Wear Red Day is a part of “Go Red For Women,” the American Heart Association’s national campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in women and encourage women to take charge of their health.

Mercy’s efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of heart disease for Siouxland women are coordinated by the hospital’s Red Dress Ambassadors, a group formed four years ago.
“Wear Red Day is an opportunity for everyone – both women and men – to remember family members and friends who have suffered from heart disease,” said Carla Galloway, chairperson of Mercy’s Red Dress Ambassadors. “It is also a time to think about their own hearts and take charge of their own health.”

“Mercy wants to make every effort to sustain the Red Dress campaign to heighten awareness and bring about positive change to defeat this major health threat,” Galloway added.

One in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease. Despite being the No. 1 killer of women, heart disease is largely preventable, according to Galloway.

Mercy has earned a regional and national reputation for excellence in cardiac care. The hospital is ranked No. 1 in Iowa for cardiac services, interventional procedures including angioplasties and stent placement, heart surgery and cardiology services, according to a recent comprehensive study released by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company.

Mercy was also the only hospital in Iowa to receive HealthGrades’ 2008 Specialty Excellence Award for Cardiac Care. The hospital ranks among the top 10% of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals for overall cardiac services.