For the second consecutive year, Team HCA Midwest Health System was the top fundraiser at the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk on Saturday, May 31st, 2014 in Kansas City, Mo., raising $101,657. Friendly competition between HCA Midwest Health System hospitals brought 22 teams together for this worthy cause, with 710 employees, family members and friends being registered walkers and runners.
HCA Midwest Health System, the Kansas City area’s leading provider of high-quality, comprehensive heart care and cardiovascular services, has raised funds and participated in AHA’s Kansas City Heart Walk since 2003. This annual event is one of the most important events for HCA Midwest Health System as it brings communities together to raise funds that stay local and celebrate the progress in the fight against America's No. 1 and No. 4 killers: heart diseases and stroke, respectively.
“I am proud of the enthusiastic ongoing collaboration and fun competition between our hospitals, as our cardiovascular specialists and our employees raise funds for the American Heart Association,” says M.L. Lagarde III, President of HCA Midwest Health System. “This important event raises awareness of heart disease and stroke and is truly aligned with HCA Midwest Health System’s mission of promoting health and wellness in the community.”
The area’s largest healthcare provider, HCA Midwest Health System hospitals include Belton Regional Medical Center, Centerpoint Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Research Medical Center and Research Psychiatric Center and provide some of the most advanced technology, programs and services available. In addition, HCA Midwest Health System offers the most Accredited Chest Pain Centers in the region, with five locations to serve area patients, and also has outpatient centers, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers and an array of other services to meet the healthcare needs of the greater Kansas City area.
“Heart disease is the nation’s number one killer and stroke is number four, so it’s part of our responsibility, as the area’s leading provider of heart and cardiovascular services, to share the message of prevention,” says David Rios, MD and Cardiologist at Research Medical Center. “I took part in the walk and I believe that since heart and vascular disease represent one of the leading reasons patients seek care at HCA Midwest Health System’s Accredited Chest Pain Centers, we have a responsibility to help the AHA raise funds and awareness to fight and prevent these terrible diseases.”
“My HCA Midwest Health System colleagues and I have a great time competing to be the top fund raisers for the Heart Walk,” says Jackie DeSouza, Chief Executive Officer, Research Medical Center. “We do this every year because we know the dollars we raise go toward community education and medical research that helps save lives and prevent heart disease and stroke.”
Five HCA Midwest Health System hospitals have Accredited Chest Pain Centers, including Centerpoint Medical Center; Lee’s Summit Medical Center; Menorah Medical Center; Overland Park Regional Medical Center; and Research Medical Center. Regional connection hospitals, also part of HCA Midwest Health System, include Allen County Hospital; Belton Regional Medical Center; Cass Regional Medical Center; Carroll County Memorial Hospital; and Lafayette Regional Health Center. Midwest Heart Care has more than 30 heart specialists.
For more information on HCA Midwest Health System, visit HCAMidwest.com.