NEWARK – Feb. 15, 2016 – Saint Michael’s Medical Center employees and medical staff raised $6,000 for the American Heart Association during National Wear Red Day on Feb. 5.
Hundreds of Saint Michael’s employees and medical staff wore red during the day and donated at least $5 to have a red heart placed in the lobby.
“You can see from the number of hearts we had in the lobby that our employees and medical staff enthusiastically supported National Wear Red Day at Saint Michael’s,” said David Ricci, president and CEO of the medical center. “We are proud to support this important initiative and especially proud of our employees and medical staff for all of their efforts.”
Ricci credited Caroline Pires, the administration office manager, with spearheading the fundraising effort.
National Wear Red Day is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women, which supports educational programs to raise women’s awareness about the dangers of heart disease and critical research into cardiovascular health. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The AHA estimates that 80 percent of all cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.
Saint Michael’s is among the top 12 Cardiac Care Centers in New Jersey, according to a recent ranking by NJBIZ. In addition to participating in National Wear Red Day, Saint Michael’s illuminated a portion of the hospital building on Central Avenue in red as part of AHA’s “GLOW Red Illumination of Buildings.”
The events are part of Saint Michael’s celebration of Heart Month during February. Other events include a heart-healthy cooking demonstration and a seminar on heart health.
On February 18 from 12:30 to 1:30, registered dietician Georgina Wondolowski, clinical nutrition manager at Saint Michael’s, will conduct a heart-healthy cooking demonstration in the main lobby for employees, patients and visitors.
Dr. Nilesh Patel, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at SMMC, will hold a seminar on Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. for people concerned about risk factors for or living with diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke or atrial fibrillation. Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle: Wholehearted Health will address common factors that can lead to these conditions and will emphasize awareness of risk factors and what can be done to combine medical care with lifestyle changes to optimize heart health. The seminar is free and open to the public. The seminar location will be announced shortly.
About Saint Michael’s Medical Center
Established by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1867, Saint Michael’s is a 357-bed regional tertiary-care, teaching, and research center in the heart of Newark’s business and educational district. Saint Michael’s Medical Center is a member of Trinity Health. Learn more at www.smmcnj.org.