Free Heart Screenings This Saturday

I work for the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center. It is one of the nation’s premier heart centers, and has renowned heart experts in more than a dozen heart specialties, including artificial heart/mechanical support, heart rhythm disorders, structural heart disorders and heart surgery.
 

This Saturday, February 9th, from 9 a.m. to 1 pm we are hosting a community Healthy Heart Fair where you can get your hearts checked out for free.

Here’s what you can do:

• Free EKG screenings, cholesterol and glucose tests, and blood pressure and body fat analyses will be performed by specialists.
 • Heart experts from the Institute will cover the latest treatment options and newest cardiac technology.
 • You and your kids can check out a Life Flight helicopter and EMS and fire trucks from Murray City Fire Department.
 • Interactive presentations and workshops will cover these topics: – How Do Diabetes and Obesity Affect Your Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Kevin Walsh, MD, at 9 a.m. – How Do I Know If I Have a Healthy Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Hannah Raasch, MD, at 10:30 a.m. –
A Cooking Demonstration: The Best and Worst Foods for Your Heart will be presented by Jennifer Burns and Amanda Hindoian at noon 
• You can pick up a FREE COOKBOOK filled with heart-healthy recipes. Its recipes have been reviewed by certified dieticians and specialists from the Intermountain Heart Institute and include over 50 heart-healthy options including snacks, appetizers, salads, soups, and main dishes. The book also gives you great ideas for how to replace unhealthy eating habits, and add more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to your diet.     
  
 There’s no need to register for the fair — but make sure to help pass the word. If you’d like more information, call the Intermountain Heart Institute at 801-507-4701.

Mashed Potatoes & Health Reform

Perhaps this has happened to you before. You sit down to enjoy a tasty meal, and somehow the topic of health reform finds its' way into the conversation. Even the baby in the high chair has an opinion about the American Healthcare system. You ask someone to pass the mashed potatoes but instead you get a big ol' fat serving of politics. There's no need to reheat this conversation in the microwave, because it's already heated!

After awhile you notice that everyone has their own opinion about what should or shouldn't happen, but no one is really talking about solid facts. In short, no one really knows what they're talking about.     

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is one of the most reliable sources on healthcare reform in the United States. They even have a health reform timeline that explains what specific changes have been made and what changes will be made in the next several years:

http://healthreform.kff.org/Home/KHS/Timeline.aspx?source=FS

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Now when words start flying at the dinner table, you can use your knowledge on health reform to persuade people to do their own research, and to get someone to seriously pass you the mashed potatoes.