Tri-County Go Red Event Planned For Feb. 2

BERLIN – A local heart health event scheduled for February is expected to educate Lower Shore residents.

On Feb. 2, local government agencies, hospitals and educational institutions will host its annual Tri-County Go Red event.

Event Coordinator Sharon Lynch, director of prevention for the Somerset County Health Department, said the area’s annual Tri-County Go Red event is in conjunction with American Heart Month and a national campaign called Go Red for Women. She said the local event highlights the importance of heart health.

“It affects every one of us, whether heart disease affects you personally or it affects your loved ones, your sister, your brother, your parents, your neighbor,” she said. “There are always tips and reminders people can get and use to make a difference. The ultimate goal is to reduce even one death from heart disease and heart attack.”

In years past, Lynch said the Tri-County Go Red event focused mainly on heart health among women. This year, however, event sponsors have extended the invitation to both women and men.

“Primarily it’s been a women-only event, but this year we are also expanding it to include spouses, or men, and pharmacists,” Lynch said.

Lynch said heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of both men and women. Cardiovascular deaths in the tri-county region, for example, account for half of all reported deaths within the nine counties of the Eastern Shore, according to the 2016 Maryland Vital Statistics Annual Report.

In another example, the prevalence rate for heart disease among Worcester County residents from 2012 to 2014 was 16.7 percent, more than double the state average of 7.5 percent, according to the most recent Community Health Assessment.

“It’s our goal to educate women and men of the seriousness of heart disease,” she said. “Nine times out of 10 it’s a silent killer. People don’t even realize they have heart disease or are at risk.”

Lynch said the event will teach participants how to lower their risk for heart disease and heart attack. She said certain activities, such as a healthy diet, exercise and blood pressure monitoring, for example, can help.

“In our event we bring topics and presenters and mentors who can help us to educate the public and give people tools and tips to empower them to go out and live a healthier lifestyle and reduce their risk of heart attack,” she said.

This year’s event – sponsored by Somerset County, Worcester County and Wicomico County health departments, Atlantic General Hospital, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, McCready Health, Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions – will take place at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Richard A. Henson Center in Princess Anne from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb.2.

Lynch said the event will include a buffet dinner by Thompson Hospitality, health vendors and screenings, giveaways and three keynote speakers, including Amanda Wainwright, a nurse practitioner, Sahil Sheth, a pharmacist, and Amber Thompson, a registered massage practitioner.

“It’s free and it’s fun,” she said. “We encourage people to come and bring friends and loved ones.”

Lynch said those wishing to attend the “Go Red” event can register for free by calling 410-543-7028 or visiting www.peninsula.org/gored.

“We encourage people to register the sooner the better,” she said. “There will be no registration at the door.”

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.