Foundation Initiatives: Cardiac Outreach Services

The Cardiac Outreach Services Program, fully implemented in 1996, grew out of the hospital's concern to provide increased health care access to minority, female and indigent patients. The program emphasizes the prevention of heart disease through healthy eating, exercise, cessation of smoking and stress reduction by:

• Creating awareness of health issues facing the population
• Educating about risk factor reduction
• Providing tools to assist behavior change
• Identifying diseases early through screenings
• Linking patients with health care providers sensitive to cultural factors

Collaboration with various community agencies and groups has increased both the outreach and the effectiveness of the Cardiac Outreach Services Program to those in the community at risk for heart disease.