Media Contact: Jim Banahan, phone (323) 913-4570
e-mail: Jim.Banahan@Hpmedcenter.com

Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center and American Heart Association Unite to Stop Heart and Vascular Disease through Prevention

Los Angeles (February 6, 2009) - Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (HPMC) and the American Heart Association joined forces earlier this week to kick off a prevention campaign targeting heart and vascular disease through education and early detection.

The formal launch of the collaborative effort took place on February 3, at a barbeque on the grounds of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Over 1200 employees gathered to celebrate the hospital's alliance with the American Heart Association and learn about upcoming plans to promote an aggressive screening and education campaign.

"We are so proud to have Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center as our Heart of the Community partner. Our shared mission of improving the cardiovascular health of Angelinos is the basis of our partnership and we applaud their bold effort starting with their very own employees. They serve as a shining example of what health organizations should be doing,"  said Claudia Bonilla Keller, America Heart Association Senior Vice President  and Western States Affiliate Executive Director Los Angeles County Division.

Hollywood Presbyterian Chief Executive Officer Jeff Nelson welcomed American Heart Association representatives and in announcing details of the the full-scale campaign, announced that Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center would be administering 1923 free peripheral vascular disease (PVD) screenings in 2009 to hospital staff and members of the surrounding community who are most at risk.

"We are 100 percent committed to preventing heart and vascular disease," stressed CEO Jeff Nelson.

Approximately eight million people in the United States suffer from PVD, a condition in which leg arteries become clogged, much like arteries from the heart. While early treatment is key, approximately half the people diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease are symptom free. 

A simple and painless test, the ankle brachial index (ABI), compares the blood pressure in the legs to the blood pressure in the arms to determine how well the blood is flowing and if further tests are needed.
 

In the months of March, June, and September, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical center will be making available free ABI screenings to all employees to encourage awareness and prevention.

As a part of its commitment to administer 1923 PVD screenings in 2009, the hospital will also announce dates and locations of free community screenings.