Running head: HEART HEALTHY 1

COM 60511 - Strategic Communication and Professional Writing: Summer II 2017

Week 2: Research and Planning

Altru Heart Healthy Campaign

Janelle C. Gergen

Purdue University
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Heart Disease and Women: Altrus Heart-Healthy Campaign

One in three American women die because of heart disease each year (American Heart

Association, February 4, 2016). 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for heart

disease, such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes (American Heart

Association, February 4, 2016). Smoking cessation, regular exercise, weight management and a

heart-healthy diet can mitigate the risk of heart disease (Mayo Clinic, June 14, 2016).

Altru Health System, serving 200,000 residents in 17 counties of northeast North Dakota

and northwest Minnesota (Altru Capabilities Brochure, n.d.), needs a strategic communication

plan to educate and prevent heart diseases effects on women. Altru can further embrace their

mission of improving health, enriching life through such a campaign that brings awareness to

womens heart health. Although revered by Thomsen Reuters Healthcare as a member of the

100 Top Hospitals in the nation for cardiovascular care (Altru Capabilities Brochure, n.d.), an

increasingly proactive approach to patient care is needed in this region.

Females 35 and Older

Women 35 years of age and older are a primary target for an Altru heart-healthy

campaign. 1,100 women die from heart disease each year in the service area and 80 percent are

preventable (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Mayo Clinic says women near

menopause are at an increased risk for heart disease, as well as those with a family history of

heart disease (June 14, 2016). This group needs education about heart-healthy lifestyle choices

and the recognition of heart attack symptoms to improve quality and quantity of life.

Female Smokers

Altrus heart-healthy campaign needs to target female smokers. Smoking not only

increases a persons risk for lung cancer, but also heart disease by two to four times. Women
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who smoke are at 25 percent higher risk of heart disease when compared to men (American

Heart Association, January 23, 2014). 6,315 females smoke in Grand Forks and Polk Counties,

the two highest populated counties that comprise Altrus service area (Open Data Network, n.d.).

The heart health of these women can improve through smoking cessation education.

Families

According to Mayo Clinic, women are more likely than men to have heart attack

symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as: neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal

discomfort; shortness of breath; pain in one or both arms; nausea or vomiting; sweating;

lightheadedness or dizziness; and unusual fatigue (June 14, 2016). Families have the ability to

recognize these signs of heart attack in their loved ones.

Families create an opportunity for life-long learning. For example, the American Heart

Association suggests that children who grow up in homes with heart-healthy eating habits

decrease their lifetime heart disease risk (October 10, 2015). However, American families

struggle to balance healthy weight and exercise levels. Statistics show 30 percent of adults in

North Dakota are obese and 15 percent of youth are obese (DNPAO Data, Trends and Maps,

n.d.). Altru can improve health and enrich family life through education of heart attack symptom

recognition in women and health conscience lifestyles that reduce heart disease.

As a mission-driven, non-profit healthcare system in the upper Midwest, Altru

understands the value of a dollar. According to Claire Greenwell of the CDC Foundation, heart-

related diseases cost Americans one in every six healthcare dollars (April 29, 2015). Altrus re-

direction of healthcare dollars through impactful, targeted messages will prevent heart disease in

women and maximize benefits for all.

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References

Altru Health System. (n.d.). Altru Capabilities Brochure [PDF].

http://www.altru.org/app/files/public/6096/pdf-CapabilitiesBrochure.pdf

American Heart Association. (2016, February 04). Heart Disease Statistics at a Glance - Go Red

for Women. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.goredforwomen.org/about-heart-

disease/facts_about_heart_disease_in_women-sub-category/statistics-at-a-glance/

American Heart Association. (2015, October 10). Healthy Eating Habits Start at Home.

Retrieved July 06, 2017, from

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Healthy-

Eating-Habits-Start-at-Home_UCM_461862_Article.jsp#.WV3_RoTyupo

American Heart Association. (2014, January 23). Smoking and Heart Disease - Go Red For

Women. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.goredforwomen.org/know-your-

risk/factors-that-increase-your-risk-for-heart-disease/smoking-heart-disease/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). DNPAO Data, Trends and Maps: Explore by

Location | CDC. Retrieved July 15, 2017, from

https://nccd.cdc.gov/dnpao_dtm/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=DNPAO_DTM.ExploreByLocati

on&rdRequestForwarding=Form

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke.

Retrieved July 15, 2017, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/DHDSPAtlas/Default.aspx?state=ND

Greenwell, C. (2015, April 29). Heart Disease and Stroke Cost American Nearly $1 Billion a

Day in Medical Costs, Lost Productivity. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from

https://www.cdcfoundation.org/pr/2015/heart-disease-and-stroke-cost-america-nearly-1-

billion-day-medical-costs-lost-productivity
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Mayo Clinic. (2016, June 14). Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors.

Retrieved July 05, 2017, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-

disease/in-depth/heart-disease/art-20046167

Open Data Network. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2017, from https://www.opendatanetwork.com/