CARIBOU — Officials with the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation program, Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM, announced Tuesday, a grant of more than $276,000 to Cary Medical Center in support of the center’s Healthy Hearts — Healthy Community program. This is the second consecutive year that the Caribou hospital has received a grant from the Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM.
Contributed photo
Displaying a check in the amount of $276,000, from the AstraZeneca Health Care Foundation in support of Cary Medical Center’s Healthy Heart — Healthy Community Program, are, from left: Peter McCorison, program director, Aroostook Mental Health Center; Kris Doody, R. N., CEO, Cary Medical Center; and Shawn Laferriere, DO, Cary Medical chief of staff.
Healthy Hearts — Healthy Community is designed to encourage healthy lifestyle choices in northern Maine, working toward improving access to health care for low-income families. The program intends to reduce incidence of cardiovascular-related morbidity, mortality, and cost burden and to increase quality of life while creating and promoting the identity of northern Maine as a dedicated model for improved cardiovascular health and disease outcomes, said Cary officials.
“The Healthy Hearts Healthy Communities program is helping people to understand that we all must become more accountable for our health,” said Kris Doody, R.N. and chief executive officer at Cary Medical Center. “Educating people about healthy nutrition, working with families to increase physical activity and informing patients in financial hardship that they have options for health care, are all important efforts in creating a healthier community. We are very grateful to the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation program for their generous support in awarding us another year to continue this important work,” Doody added.
The Healthy Hearts — Healthy Community program will look to expand on 2011 initiatives, including a TV/DVD series, Healthy Hearts Club community interactive and educational events, and clinical nutritional counseling of patients with established cardiovascular disease. The program will also expand its emphasis on families and children, diabetes patients and healthy lifestyles transformation while improving accessibility to opportunities for improved nutrition and physical activity for low-income populations.
“We must work to decrease the risk of and prevent cardiovascular disease in the United States, by providing resources to those in need,” said David P. Nicoli, president, AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. “Cary Medical Center is providing an innovative program to improve cardiovascular health in communities throughout northern Maine.”
