There are key factors that impact heart health that everyone needs to be aware of to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. These include monitoring blood pressure, knowing your cholesterol and getting enough exercise.
High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, occurs when the pressure of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high. According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure and many do not even know it.
Dr. Blase A. Carabello, chief of cardiology, Brody School of Medicine at ECU and ECU Health Medical Center, said, “High blood pressure is often a symptomless ‘silent killer’ because there are often no noticeable symptoms that accompany this condition. The best way to know if your blood pressure is in a healthy range is to get your blood pressure checked and monitor your blood pressure numbers regularly.”
Cholesterol levels can play a key role in heart health. It comes from two sources: the liver, which makes all the cholesterol you need, and the rest comes from foods from animals. Cholesterol circulates in the blood and as the amount of it increases in your blood, so too does the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. When it comes to cholesterol, remember to check, change and control.
Another key factor influencing heart health is atrial fibrillation or “afib,” a quivering or irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart failure and a shortened life span. Typically, people who have one or more conditions including high blood pressure, sleep apnea, underlying heart disease, and other chronic conditions including thyroid problems, diabetes and asthma may be at risk for atrial fibrillation. However, the single most important modifiable risk factor for afib is obesity.
The treatment goals of atrial fibrillation begin with diagnosis through in-depth examination from a physician. Based upon the diagnosis, providers may offer a variety of options including medication that usually entails the use of blood thinners, nonsurgical procedures, including electrical cardioversion to reset the heart to a normal rhythm and procedures that can block the area of the heart where blood clots form if patients are unable to take blood thinners.
“Being proactive about your heart health is the best way to be aware of potential problems,” said Dr. Carabello. “Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active can make a positive impact on blood pressure, cholesterol and atrial fibrillation, which will help maintain good heart health. Also, seeing your provider for screenings and check-ups is key to preventing problems before they arise.”
Even though the pandemic continues to make an impact on daily life in eastern North Carolina, Dr. Carabello encourages community members to continue to seek medical attention and to be knowledgeable about the procedures in place to make patients as safe as possible.
He said, “Heart disease did not take a break during the pandemic and any negative heart condition needs to be addressed in its earliest stages when the widest variety of treatments are available.”
For those who have experienced a major cardiac event, Vidant offers a Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program to help create a path forward. A team of respiratory therapists, registered nurses, exercise professionals, dietitians and a medical director guide patients through a program focused on exercise, nutrition and behavior modification to prepare and equip those in the program to continue physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes.
For more information about cardiovascular resources at Vidant Health, including treatments, screenings and technologies, visit VidantHealth.com/Heart-Vascular.
“Music therapy is not a new science,” said Vidant Chief Experience Officer Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert. “We know that music can calm anxieties and ease pain. Music from internationally renowned musicians provides a soothing experience for community members in the observation area after they receive their dose of hope.”
Four Seasons Artistic Director Ara Gregorian values the partnership they have built with Vidant. “Four Seasons is committed to bringing great music and musicians to as many people as possible, and I can think of no better way to do this during the pandemic than bringing musicians from around the world to regularly perform at the Large-Scale Vaccine Clinic,” Gregorian said.
“The beautiful, healing music gratefully provided by Four Seasons will forever be a part of the memories of those that receive their vaccine,” Dr. Oehlert said. Vidant and Four Seasons have partnered for years to bring musical experiences to patients at ECU Health Medical Center via live performances and video recordings featuring acclaimed Four Seasons musicians.
Dr. Oehlert said, “This collaboration is yet another demonstration of how our community comes together to support each other during this pandemic and other times of need.”
Vidant has vaccinated over 10,000 people thus far. For more information about vaccination appointments, visit www.Vidanthealth.com/vaccinate or sign up for email updates on Vidant’s vaccine efforts as new information becomes available.
The 72-year-old lifelong eastern North Carolina resident was among the first in line at the large-scale vaccination clinic, organized by Vidant Health and the Pitt County Department of Health.
“I hope and pray that some other people will come to realize that this is what we need to do,” Joyner said. “We need to get this vaccine.”
Vidant teams have been working around the clock to prepare to vaccinate more than 4,000 people in the first week.
“We knew this was going to be a big deal, we knew we were going to need a lot of help and expertise to do it,” said Dan Drake, PhD, RN, president of ECU Health Physicians & Ambulatory Services.
“There is a lot of pride with being able to offer this to people who are vulnerable, and frail and at risk,” said Vidant Health Chief Experience Officer Julie Kennedy Oehlert, DNP, RN. “And none of us take it lightly.”
“Many of the patients that we have immunized have been so gracious; in fact, many of them have talked about it like it’s a life-saving intervention and for many of them it may be,” said Drake.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be unprecedented, so is the defense against it.
“This is the largest mass vaccination effort in the history of humankind; it’s the largest public health intervention we have ever faced,” said Drake.
“We all stood and watched these people that we’ve been preparing for, for a couple of weeks – and we were just like, ‘Yay! You’re here. We’re here for you! You’re here, we’re here. Let’s do this!’” said Oehlert.
It’s a rallying cry for a region – and a dose of hope for the communities Vidant serves.
Joyner, for one, agrees: “It’s a blessing, it’s a blessing that we’ve got this.”
Appointment information for eligible community members:
Beginning 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22, community members can view appointment availability by conveniently visiting VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate. The online appointment scheduler is the fastest and most convenient way to view and schedule an appointment. If internet access is not available or special assistance is required, community members may call 252-847-8000 — available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.. Due to large call volumes, community members are encouraged to only use this number if necessary.
Appointment information for those on the Pitt County Health Department Wait List:
A majority of the appointment slots in the initial phase will be allocated for the more than 8,000 people on the Pitt County Health Department wait list. Those already on the health department’s wait list will be directly contacted in the coming days and weeks by either email or phone. Individuals who are on the wait list are encouraged to check their email regularly and answer calls from a phone number beginning with 252-902. The Pitt County Health Department will stop accepting new wait list submissions effective today, Thursday, Jan. 21.
Vidant serves a region of 1.4 million people and appointments are expected to fill up quickly. The public is encouraged to be patient as it is expected to take months to vaccinate eligible community members. The initial goal is to administer more than 4,000 vaccines per week depending on the state’s vaccine allocations. Vidant and Pitt County will adjust appointment slots as needed, depending on vaccine allocations and other resources.
Vidant is also collaborating with other health departments and ECU to rapidly open more vaccine clinics across the region.
Although the vaccine offers great hope, Vidant encourages everyone to do their part to keep communities in the region safe from COVID-19: wear a mask, social distance and wash hands. Those who receive the vaccine should still practice these important safety measures. Importantly, a high number of COVID-19 patients are relying on Vidant for care and our team members are not immune from community spread. Please do your part to protect yourself and those around you.
Community members can visit VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate to view appointment availability, stay up to date on Vidant’s vaccine efforts and sign up for email updates.
Vidant Health and the Pitt County Health Department will open a large-scale vaccine site on Monday, Jan. 25 to eligible community members as defined by the state of North Carolina.
The large-scale vaccine site will be open to eligible community members throughout eastern North Carolina at the Greenville Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 25. Appointments will be required for eligible community members and scheduling details will be announced in the coming days.
The public is encouraged to be patient as it will take some time to get all of those eligible vaccinated. The initial goal is to administer more than 4,000 vaccines per week depending on the state’s vaccine allocations.
“This is a historic moment for Vidant, Pitt County and eastern North Carolina, as we work together to bring hope to our community,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, chief executive officer of Vidant Health. “Vidant has spent the last year responding to this pandemic in tremendous ways and this is the next chapter as we bring safety and healing to the East. Vidant has full confidence in the vaccines and we are fully committed to working with our partners to launch and operate the largest vaccine effort in the history of the region. We are also committed to continuing our efforts to get the vaccine to all of the communities we care for and serve.”
Although the vaccine offers great hope, Vidant encourages everyone to do their part to keep communities in the region safe from COVID-19: wear a mask, social distance and wash hands. Those who receive the vaccine should still practice these important safety measures. Importantly, a high-number of COVID-19 patients are relying on Vidant for care and our team members are not immune from community spread. Please do your part to protect yourself and those around you.
Community members can visit VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate to stay up to date on Vidant’s vaccines efforts and sign up for email updates.
Starting Friday, Jan. 8, Vidant began vaccinating community members 75 and older in Phase 1b, group 1, as outlined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). Vidant continues to identify and directly contact eligible high-risk individuals through community partners, as well as its patient database MyChart, in the initial launch of Phase 1b, group 1.
This initial approach is only the first step in making the vaccine more broadly available to eligible community members. Though the first wave of community vaccines are being administered in Greenville, Vidant will announce its plans to expand its efforts to vaccinate high-risk individuals throughout the East in the coming weeks.
As a reminder, NCDHHS provides allocations to local health departments and health systems with requirements to vaccinate eligible groups per its COVID-19 vaccine plan. The amount Vidant receives will determine the number of individuals we can vaccinate; so please know that efforts to vaccinate community members could take months.
As a leader in the East, Vidant is working collaboratively with our community partners throughout the region, including local health departments, ECU and area providers to ensure we can efficiently serve our community.
Vidant has full confidence in the vaccines. Before receiving FDA emergency use authorization approval, the COVID-19 vaccines went through rigorous testing and trials to prove they are safe and effective prior to distribution.
The vaccine offers great hope in the fight against COVID-19; protect yourself and your loved ones and #HelpUsENC by getting vaccinated when eligible, continuing to mask, social distance and wash hands.
For updates on Vidant’s community vaccine efforts, please visit VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate.