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News Room - Recent News
Our Opinion: Healthy Hearts
February 24, 2005
Suffolk News-Herald
A ceremony was held Tuesday in Hampton Roads to welcome a facility that is
sure to have significant impact on the quality of life enjoyed by residents
of Suffolk and throughout Hampton Roads.
The Bon-Secours - Columbia University Heart Institute in Portsmouth will open
this fall. Mayors and other city officials from most of the communities of
Hampton Roads from Portsmouth west attended the event.
The facility, the first of its kind in the area, will surely have a significant
impact since western Hampton Roads has Virginia's highest rate of heart disease-related
hospitalization and disease. That's particularly true among blacks, who are
most likely to suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
"I'm thrilled to see this building going up behind us," Dr. Eric Rose of
Columbia University, whose center performed a quadruple bypass surgery on former
President Bill Clinton in September, told those in attendance, "but I'm
even more thrilled about what's going to be going on inside. The incidence
of heart disease in this community is high, and we believe that this center
will have a dramatic impact on the community. We're ecstatic to be able to
offer this."
While Rose's words are certainly true, there's a simpler and far less expensive
manner to have a dramatic impact on the community from the same standpoint
- namely, educating area residents on the importance of eating a heart-healthy
diet and working regular exercise into their daily routine.
By the time one will need the services of heart institute, significant damage
will have been done from sedentary lifestyles and diets high in fat and salt.
To supplement the services of the heart institute, it would be helpful if surrounding
communities could also join together to help educate residents on how to stay
healthy and avoid the need for expensive surgical procedures.
Lifestyle choices, while matters of personal choice, have far-reaching impact
on the costs of procedures, medication and health insurance. We all have a
stake in encouraging healthier living.
Copyright Suffolk News-Herald
130 S. Saratoga, Suffolk, VA 23434
757-934-9613 webmaster@suffolknewsherald.com
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Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System is a leading health
care organization known for providing care for the whole
person with grace and clinical distinction. Bon Secours
brings together a network of hospitals, primary care practices,
ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities to
provide quality health care services to the residents of
Hampton Roads. Bon Secours, which employs more than 4,500,
includes: Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, Bon Secours
Maryview Medical Center, Mary Immaculate Hospital, Bon Secours
Health Center at Harbour View, Bon Secours Maryview Nursing
Care Center and St. Francis Nursing Center.
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