News Releases

February is heart month and Spectrum Health is hosting a number of cardiovascular educational presentations to promote awareness of heart disease and prevention.

• A program focusing on lowering the risk of developing blood clots will be held on Thursday, February 9, at 7 p.m. on the 8th floor of the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, 100 Michigan NE. Deep vein thrombosis, a clot that forms in the legs and pulmonary embolism, a clot that blocks the lungs will be discussed. Vascular surgeon Jason Slaikeu, MD, of the Spectrum Health Medical Group will explain how more than 100,000 Americans die each year from these clots and what people can do to reduce their risks. Reservations for this free program can be made by calling 616.267.2626 and select option 4.
• A web chat exploring how to stay heart healthy takes place on Tuesday, February 14 at noon at spectrumhealth.org/onlinechat. Cardiologist Helayne Sherman, MD, PhD, FACC, will answer questions about heart disease risks, treatment and prevention. She is a board certified, fellowship trained specialist with expertise in preventive cardiology, cardiac stress testing, echocardiography, adult congenital heart disease and women and heart disease.
• Sherman will also host “Love Your Heart, Choose Smart,” on Monday, February 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park at 1000 East Beltline Avenue. NE in Grand Rapids. This free healthy heart seminar for women focuses on how women’s heart disease differs from that of men.

More women than men die of heart disease. Sherman will present the latest heart disease prevention guidelines for women. She is director of Spectrum Health’s women’s heart program. In addition, a Spectrum Health dietitian, exercise physiologist and pharmacist will be present to discuss healthy eating, exercise options and medication information.  To register for this program, call 616.267.2626 and select option 4.

Spectrum Health physicians encourage everyone to learn about heart disease risks. An easy way to determine this risk is to take a heart disease risk assessment at spectrumhealth.org/heartrisk. This is an easy way to understand personal risk factors and the steps required to manage them.

In addition to hosting educational presentations, Spectrum Health is launching a series of heart patient videos where patients discuss their heart disease, treatment and recovery. Hear their medical journey in their own words by going to spectrumhealth.org/heartpatientstories.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 190 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 18,000 employees. The organization provided $176.5 million in community benefit during its 2011 fiscal year.