Organizers push for bigger, better Heart Walk
Organizers of the American Heart Association Heart Walk, slated for May 13 at Spring Lake Park, are working hard to make the event bigger and better than it’s been in past years.
Harlo McCall, CEO of HealthSouth Texarkana, is chairman of the event this year. Raising awareness of heart disease and stroke is a cause close to his heart.
“I’ve been a nurse for over 20 years and I spent five of that on the heart team watching people’s lives change unexpectedly due to heart disease. It’s just always been a very passionate part of my career,” McCall said. “Now being at the rehab at HealthSouth the same thing goes for stroke. … It’s very important to us. We have a lot of stroke survivors in this community and a lot of those were our former patients.”
HealthSouth has a stroke support group with Wadley Regional Medical Center so McCall is able to see the progress stroke patients make.
“They’re doing really well because of early recognition of symptoms and getting to the hospital on time,” McCall said. “That early recognition comes from direct efforts of the American Heart Association and the education they provide to the community. The same goes for heart disease. The education is extremely valuable.”
Heart disease takes a big toll on the health of Americans across the United States but affects even more people in the South.
“Heart disease is the number one killer. It kills more people every year than all the cancers combined. That’s something that kind of gets lost in translation,” McCall said. “We’re in that belt in the United States. Our lifestyles in the South are not conducive to not having heart and stroke issues. Obesity rates are higher. We don’t eat healthy. We need that education. … It’s preventable. It’s not a hundred percent preventable but we have a good chance of lessening the chance of heart attack and stroke by making healthier choices.”
The Heart Walk has moved back to Spring Lake Park, a more central location, to encourage more participation.
“The goal is to get more people involved. That’s our big push. … It’s going to be much bigger this year,” McCall said. “As CEO of HealthSouth, I’ve been able to reach out to other CEOs and challenge them to embrace the cause.”
“This cause has a special place in my heart. … I’m always looking at opportunities to make an impact locally since I’m no longer at the bedside doing hands-on care. This is my opportunity to make an impact,” McCall said. “Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. Early recognition and education is the key to prevention and the American Heart Association is key to that so implore people to become involved. Everybody knows somebody or has a family member affected by stroke or heart disease.”
For more information about the Heart Walk or to register visit texarkanaheartwalk.org. There is no registration fee for the event but people are encouraged to raise money on their own. Participants who raise $100 or more will receive a T-shirt.