SAINT THOMAS ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 20, 2005) - Saint Thomas Hospital recently announced a new pro-gram, "Women of Heart," designed to educate, inform and motivate women to take care of their heart health.

Saint Thomas Institute cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and nurses will bring their five-star, award-winning expertise to women in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, through educational seminars, health screenings, heart-healthy cooking classes and shortcut lifestyle tips for busy women.

"Women of Heart will tar-get its messages to women currently in high risk categories and age groups, as well as women who can make heart healthy lifestyle changes early, thus adding years of health and productivity to their lives," said Dr. George Liesmann, chief medical officer at Saint Thomas Hospital. "If only 500 women encouraged 10 friends, relatives or co-workers to have a heart healthy screening, we will have impacted heart health and achieved possibly life-saving results, for 5,000 women.

"These women are our mothers, grandmothers, wives, sisters and daughters. We cannot afford to lose them to preventable heart disease."

Heart disease is by far the number one killer of women in Tennessee and in the United States. While breast cancer is a deadly disease, statistics say that only one in 27 women dies of breast cancer, while half of all women die of heart disease.

These statistics are critical and underreported, and as the number one cardiac hospital in Tennessee, Saint Thomas Heart Institute feels compelled to increase awareness of the problem.

The Women of Heart pro-gram will also feature Saint Thomas Heart Institute physicians going to outlying areas to screen women and provide educational seminars to those communities.

Members of Women of Heart will receive a member-ship kit, including health and risk information and "pass it on" cards that encourage their friends and loved ones to get screened and to live a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The Women of Heart Kickoff event will be held Feb. 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., at "Spaces," located at 6000 Highway 100 in Nashville, just in time to kick off Heart month.

At the event, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee will be presenting "Yoga On the Go."

In addition, local merchants Grand Cru, Givere Chocolatier and Wild Oats will provide samples and information about their heart healthy benefits of wine, chocolate and cheese.

Saint Thomas Hospital is a member of Saint Thomas Health Services, a faith-based ministry with 10,000 associates serving Middle Tennessee.

Saint Thomas Health Services consists of five hospitals: Baptist and Saint Thomas Hospitals in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville and DeKalb Hospital in Smithville.

It is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States.

In the 2005 HealthGrades hospital quality ratings, Saint Thomas Hospital is ranked number one in Tennessee for overall cardiac services, heart surgery and cardiac interventions.

Saint Thomas is the only hospital in Tennessee, and one of only 35 in the entire United States to be ranked in the top 10 percent nationally for both heart surgery and cardiac intervention.

©The Tullahoma News 2005