Million Hearts® Recognizes NMC Health for Innovation and Commitment to Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes
NEWTON, Kan., (April 12, 2024) — Million Hearts® – a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in five years – is proud to recognize NMC Health, located in Newton, Kansas, as a Million Hearts® Health System for excellence in preventing heart attacks and strokes. NMC Health was selected because of its commitment to improving the cardiovascular health of its patients, employees, and communities. Through the use of the Healthy Kansas Hospitals guidelines, NMC Health has committed to creating a healthy environment for employees and patients. The organization also offers education on cardiac rehabilitation program benefits and patient financial assistance, and an online referral form for patient convenience. Additionally, NMC Health is updating its electronic medical records systems to improve their cardiac rehabilitation referral process.
The Million Hearts® Hospitals & Health Systems Recognition Program is a national effort to promote proven approaches to tackle the leading causes of heart disease and stroke. The Million Hearts® Hospitals & Health Systems Recognition Program provides an opportunity for hospitals to get involved in Million Hearts® and to be recognized for the ways they are improving the cardiovascular health of the population and communities they serve through the priority areas of: 1) Keeping People Healthy, 2) Optimizing Care, 3) Improving Outcomes for Priority Populations, and 4) Innovating for Health.
“On behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our Million Hearts® team, and the Million Hearts® Initiative we are pleased to recognize NMC Health as a Million Hearts® health system.” said Laurence Sperling, MD, executive director of Million Hearts®. “NMC Health demonstrates exceptional commitment to promoting health through their expansion of cardiac rehabilitation, focus on financial assistance, and support of employee physical and mental wellbeing.”
“We are proud to be recognized by Million Hearts® for our commitment to helping our community prevent and recover from heart issues,” noted NMC Health President and CEO Val Gleason. “We are among the nation’s first hospitals to receive this honor and are delighted to stand with the likes of Johns Hopkins and other larger metropolitan hospitals in receiving this recognition.”
Upcoming Healthy Heart Opportunity
NMC Health will be hosting a free seminar on Cardiac Risks & Recovery led by Jennifer Koontz, M.D. and Jonathan Thiel, RN as part of its new Wellness First Wednesday initiative. The public is welcome to attend on Wednesday, May 1, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., at the NMC Health Medical Center (600 Medical Center Drive). The session will feature information on learning heart risk factors, recognizing signs of heart disease, and regaining health after a heart incident. As a lunch and learn event, attendees are free to bring a lunch or purchase a meal from NMC Health’s Sunflower Café.
About NMC Health
NMC Health is an award-winning medical care system focused on improving health throughout Newton, Kan., Harvey, Sedgwick and surrounding counties. Featuring a 99-bed hospital located at the intersection of I-135 and Highway 50, and 10 primary care and specialty clinics, NMC Health’s services and specialties include emergency medicine, orthopedics, urology, surgical services, rehabilitation, occupational medicine, home health, wound care and more. For more information, call 316-283-2700 or visit mynmchealth.org.
More information about Million Hearts® can be found at https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/
