Brookwood Baptist Health Celebrates Heart Month

Birmingham, Ala.– Jan. 31, 2023 – As we settle into the New Year and kick off February’s American Heart Month, now is the perfect time to set or revisit your goals for the year. With that in mind, Brookwood Baptist Health is encouraging central Alabama residents to make heart health a priority.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in America, but there are ways we can reduce or eliminate our risk of developing it, such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.

The experienced teams at Brookwood Baptist Health’s five Alabama hospitals are dedicated to providing patients in central Alabama with comprehensive cardiac care close to home. If you have been diagnosed with a heart condition or you visit one of our hospitals for cardiac care, our dedicated teams of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, techs, respiratory therapists, and support staffs are prepared to take care of you. With a full range of cardiac services, when patients visit a Brookwood Baptist Health hospital, they can rest assured their heart is in the right place.

Each year in February, we recognize American Heart Month by focusing on ways to improve heart health. We hope you’ll join us by visiting our website where you can find heart health resources, take a heart health quiz, learn about our full range of cardiac care and more.

You can also sign up for Brookwood’s health tips newsletter, which will be heavily focused on heart health throughout the month of February.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 805,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness, and fainting.

Heart Month represents a great time to make sure you are up to date on your health screenings. Screenings and check-ups that are often covered by insurance can alert you to health conditions that need addressing sooner rather than later. From knowing your numbers for heart health to a mammogram or colonoscopy, early detection may prevent complications down the road.

For more information, visit Brookwood’s Guide to Heart Screenings.

Throughout the month of February, Brookwood Baptist Health will host several different events and seminars and feature a social media campaign targeted at helping educate our communities learn about ways they can promote health hearts.

Some of our featured programs and activities for Heart Month include:

February 3: Go Red Day – All Brookwood Baptist Staff invited to wear red during their shifts to observe Women’s Heart Health

February 16: EMS Education – Dr. Krishna Gaddam of Heart South Cardiovascular Group will host a Zoom seminar for all BBH EMS staff that will offer continuing education units.

February 22: Lunch and Learn – Dr. David Fieno of Heart South Cardiovascular Group will host a lunch and learn seminar titled “Good Health – Good Heart.”

All Month: Brookwood Baptist Health will share heart health themed content across all its social media channels throughout the month.