IDPH Faith-Based Million
Hearts® Initiative
February is American Heart
Month
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[February 20, 2017]
SPRINGFIELD
– The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is launching its new
Faith-Based Million Hearts® Initiative during American Heart Month.
Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s number one cause of death.
However, it can be prevented in some cases by making healthy choices and
managing heart conditions.
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“To help more people learn about heart healthy steps they can take
and to support communities working to become healthier, IDPH is
launching its Faith-Based Million Hearts® Initiative ‘Love to Love
Your Heart,’” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “Many
people look to their faith-based organizations for information,
support, and encouragement. By offering healthy heart education and
tips on lowering the risk of heart disease, we hope to reduce the
number of people who die from heart disease and stroke.”
The goal of “Love to Love Your Heart” is to enlist 50-faith-based
organizations statewide to support the national goal of preventing
one million heart attacks and strokes by the end of 2017. Each
participating organization will hold four activities over the next
year that focus on heart disease and stroke education and
prevention. Those activities may include starting a community
garden, organizing a walking/biking/yoga/exercise group, hosting a
healthy cooking demonstration, or incorporating heart healthy
messages in programs, bulletins, inserts, and newsletters.
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“It is so important to educate our congregation about heart disease and what
they can do to prevent it, and the resources that are available to them to help
them live a quality life,” said Total Faith Community Church Advocate Georgia
McKinney. “We hope this initiative helps us to grow spiritually, as well as
physically and mentally. Our Pastor is excited about this initiative for our
congregation and our community.”
Faith-based organizations interested in learning more or signing up can call
IDPH at 217-785-4311. For more information on heart disease and stroke, log onto
the IDPH website.
[Illinois Department of Public
Health] |