The South Florida Hospital News’s theme of Education in the Healthcare Industry for this November issue is both near and dear to the Florida Heart Research Institute. Clearly the advances in our understanding of the cardiovascular disease process, diagnosis, treatment and prevention would not have occurred without the vitally important process of education. It is for this reason that education is one of the three pillars of our mission: to stop heart disease through research, education and prevention. Since 1944, FHRI has been an international leader in cardiovascular research and education and today we are committed to building upon that strong foundation by providing the following programs and services:

 

• Medical Education – Every fall, FHRI coordinates the Irwin R. Callen Memorial Lecture at the annual conference of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. This event brings world-renowned medical authorities to our state to educate cardiologists on state-of-the-art topics in the field. Dr. Bentley Bobrow, M.D., who is the state Medical Director of the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System at the Arizona Department of Health Services presented an inspiring lecture this year on how Arizona was able to improve sudden cardiac arrest survival through a system of care approach – an effort FHRI hopes to replicate here in Florida.

 

• Public Education – FHRI has developed a series of seven educational pamphlets on various topics of heart health such as Understanding Blood Pressure, Understanding Cholesterol, Women and Heart Disease, etc. All were designed for the lay public written at an elementary reading level and are available in English, Spanish and Creole and can be downloaded and printed for free from our website www.floridaheart.org. Upon invitation from community-based organizations, FHRI will travel to provide free educational workshops as long as classes are open to the public.

 

• Public Awareness Campaigns – using our unique collaboration with state tax collectors and Driver’s License offices, FHRI wages periodic public awareness campaigns to educate the public on heart disease risk factors and prevention strategies – all with a call to action. Most recently, we embarked on an ambitious statewide campaign to save lives and improve survival rates from Sudden Cardiac Arrest by educating the public on the need to take quick action when someone collapses and performing PUSHCPR® which involves compression-only CPR until help arrives. This simple technique can literally be taught in minutes and has been proven to save lives. To learn more, or to request a demonstration at any meeting or public forum, go to www.pushcpr.org.  

 

• Worksite Wellness – FHRI continues to work with local organizations that want to improve their bottom line by facilitating consumer driven and customized corporate wellness strategies. One component of our Working to Health® program services includes educational workshops which are always customized to suit client’s needs. Classes are carefully designed using only nationally recognized sources, are conveniently priced and are available onsite as well as by webinar. Research has shown that every dollar spent on targeted wellness programs can produce a $3.50 return on investment through reduced healthcare costs, absenteeism and turnover and through increased productivity.

 

It is our pleasure and passion to serve our community in these ways. FHRI will not rest until we have succeeded in our mission to stop heart disease!