Group brought attention to heart disease detection

When people believe passionately in a cause and have confidence in leadership, what seems impossible becomes possible. That happened Feb. 4 in Maryland. In every county in the state and Baltimore City, in sites that included a library, health department, private medical offices, urgent care center, low-income housing center, imaging company and a number of supportive hospitals, a remarkable group of people came together to provide free heart and vascular screening and education to nearly 1,000 elevated risk individuals in one day.

From the heart of our biggest city to our most rural communities, from the shores of the East to the mountains of the West, we refocused the public’s collective health consciousness where it should be, on awareness, prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease, far and away our leading cause of death. This was all led by a tiny, Annapolis-based nonprofit with a big vision and will to match, the Heart Health Foundation.

The planning, recruiting, scheduling, marketing and logistics of getting equipment, volunteers and participants at all of these places at the right time seemed impossible with this small local team, but it was achieved. Our state is healthier for our efforts; we are better for what we have done. Our new governor has stressed service as a priority — we have lived up to that challenge.

A giant thanks to the Heart Healthy Maryland Screening Day team members, volunteers, sponsors, partners and participants, all across Maryland. We did it!