Health education is something we can talk about! The Florida Heart Research Institute has a long history of providing cardiovascular education to the medical community as well as the general public of South Florida and will continue to do so until we fulfill our mission to stop heart disease through research, education and prevention. For more than 65 years, FHRI has been a leader in our community in heart health promotion and disease prevention education and initiatives.
FHRI has always made education an integral part of our mission because we believe the most effective way to stop, prevent or reduce the incidence of cardiac disease is through an understanding of how lifestyles and risk factors can contribute to disease onset and progression. We continue to reach out to the medical community each year through our annual Irwin R. Callen Memorial Lecture series which brings international leaders in cardiovascular medicine and / or research to Florida physicians. In recent years, this prestigious lecture series, which provides CMEs for physicians, has been brought to the annual conference of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology which takes place in Orlando. For the upcoming conference in August, the Callen Lecture will feature Keith Webster, PhD, who will discuss the molecular links between diabetes and heart disease. For more information, go to www.accfl.org.
FHRI strongly believes we have a responsibility in cultivating new leaders in nursing and medicine and for this reason we continue to provide the Joan K Stout, RN Advanced Cardiovascular Nursing Scholarship which grants highly qualified nurses with funds to advance their nursing education. In addition, a summer fellowship program is awarded each year to two local college students interested in pursuing a career in medicine or medical research.
Our “Make Your Heart Healthy” educational lecture series was first developed in 2004 for the lay public. Upon request, FHRI visits local community groups, churches and organizations presenting customized lectures about heart disease risk factors, heart healthy eating, the importance of exercise and weight management, stress management, etc. Lasting approximately one hour, these interactive lectures include visual aids and educational pamphlets. The very same workshops are provided for a small fee to organizations wishing to provide the message of wellness to their employees. We can combine the classes with our Cardiovascular Risk Factor Screening or a weight management or health coaching session as well.
Last December, we expanded our educational curriculum thanks to a grant from the Dade Community Foundation and now FHRI is a certified training center for CPR / AED and First Aid. For a nominal fee, we can provide this life saving instruction for employees or for the general public either at FHRI or at a local facility.
Focusing our educational efforts on workplace health promotion has allowed us to grow our “Working to Health” corporate screening and educational programs and services. Demand for these services has skyrocketed as we have proven that they result in decreased health care premiums, increased productivity, reduced employee absenteeism and increased employee satisfaction, well-being and health. Please see our website, www.floridaheart.org, for more information.
The FHRI’s web site is considered an important tool that allows us to reach out globally to educate both physicians and lay people about heart disease. The “Learning Center” sections includes an in depth discussion of the cardiovascular system, genetics of heart disease, a heart attack risk assessment, and “FAQs” – frequently asked questions.
As you can see, education is something we can talk about! We will continue to passionately provide these valuable resources and services until our work is done and our mission is achieved.
