Help Provide Free Care
Your gift helps RAM provide free dental, vision, and medical services to people in need.
February is American Heart Month
At Remote Area Medical — RAM® we aim to keep you informed about health awareness months and provide tips to promote healthy lifestyle choices. This month we are discussing American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. One in five deaths in the U.S. in 2022 was caused by or related to heart disease [Center for Disease Control (CDC)].
RAM CORE Volunteer, Julie Pierantoni, Registered Nurse Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for Sentara Healthcare, and RAM CORE Triage Supervisor and CORE Medical Supervisor, shared a powerful story of a RAM Clinic patient who survived a heart attack thanks to RAM Volunteers and offered her valuable tips for maintaining heart health year-round.
Cardiac Emergency at a RAM Clinic
A man came to the RAM Clinic in Lick Creek, Kentucky, for vision care. During the registration process he began having a heart attack, turning pale and having extreme chest pain. Thankfully the cardiac team from the local hospital was volunteering at the clinic and was able to intervene.
“He’d been having chest pain in the previous days and weeks, but resting on sofa and smoking cigarettes relieved chest pain so he thought it was “ok.” Today’s pain was nothing like he had ever experienced,” Julie said.
Because of the remote location of this community, the nearest hospital was approximately an hour’s drive away. The doctor informed Julie that because of the hospital’s distance, the patient would not survive ground transportation and needed a helicopter for a life flight. By chance, the school where the clinic was being held was the only place locally where a helicopter could have landed.
If the patient had been anywhere else, without access to a helicopter, it is likely that he would not have survived the cardiac event, according to the doctor at the clinic. Volunteers at the RAM Clinic were able to start an IV, monitor the patient’s EKG, and assist him until the helicopter and paramedics arrived.
Support This Story
Your gift helps RAM continue providing free care to people in need.
Julie shared that this was not the only clinic she has volunteered at where a patient required emergency medical attention that they would not have been able to get without being at the RAM Clinic. This is why RAM exists, to bring medical care to those in remote areas, who may not have access to a doctor otherwise and help prevent problems like these from occurring in the future.
The Facts of Heart Disease —
Heart disease is caused by a buildup of plaque in the artery walls, making blood flow more difficult, potentially causing blood clots. This can lead to many different types of problems such as: a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure, arrythmia, and heart valve problems [American Heart Association].
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common issue for Americans – nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure. Only one in four people with high blood pressure has it in control [CDC]. Hypertension management is a key factor in promoting heart health and living a healthy life.
Taking Care of Heart Health: [from CORE Volunteer Julie]
- Know your risk factors (see risk factors below)
- Eat healthy foods
- Prioritize healthy heart eating
- Consider finding a healthy heart cookbook for healthy heart dinner ideas and healthy heart breakfast ideas
- Be active
- This can help maintain a healthy heart rate
- There are many ways to increase physical activity, including
- Going to the gym
- Taking a walk. Grab your dog, a friend, or even an audiobook or podcast, and take a walk around your neighborhood.
- Doing at home exercises
- Joining a recreational sports league
- Get regular preventative care and check ups
- Annual physical examinations by your doctor can catch potential heart issues early on
- Find a RAM free clinic near you to speak with one of RAM’s volunteer physicians
- Limit sweet drinks
- Such as: sweet tea, fruit juices, regular sodas, specialty coffees
- Consider alternatives such as: unsweet tea, diet sodas, coffee without creams and sweeteners, and water
Risk factors for a heart attack include: [from CORE Volunteer Julie]
- Increasing age
- Gender
- Diabetes — “Heart disease is the #1 killer of people with diabetes. Someone with diabetes (even well controlled diabetes) is 2-4 times more likely to have heart disease and are 50% more likely to die from heart disease,” Julie said.
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- High Cholesterol
- Being overweight or obese
- Tobacco use
Listed above are tips and risk factors to know during American Heart Month. However, it is important to seek medical care if you have any concerns about your health.
Doctors at RAM’s free clinics can help diagnose some common cardiac problems, such as high blood pressure, and get patients on track to get the medical care they need.
Supporting RAM Beyond American Heart Month
Just a $25 donation can provide 5 pairs of glasses to our patients. $50 can provide 100 patients with glucose test strips. If you would like to become a monthly donor with RAM, please click here.
Please consider volunteering with RAM and help us continue providing care to patients across the country. Whether you are a medical, dental, or vision provider, a foreign language interpreter, or a general support volunteer, people who lack access to medical care need your services!
And make sure to follow us on social media to keep up with all things RAM.
To see where we are going next, please visit our schedule. Share our free clinic dates with anyone who may need them.
If you enjoyed this blog post about American Heart Month, you may enjoy our other blog posts! Click here to read more blog posts! Missed our last blog post? No problem, we’ve got you covered! Read about our annual flagship clinic here.
