Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. Samantha Chen, Registered Nurse at West Kendall Baptist Hospital, says the majority of the people she sees have high cholesterol.
“All of the advantages in the preventive space and in the treatment space with angioplasty, thrombolytics, defibrillators and transplants have made a huge impact upon having people with heart disease living longer,” points out Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health.
Regarding obesity epidemic, he highlights all the good work that has been done could be lost if they don’t get control of this disease. Samantha Chen, Registered Nurse, explains at the Healthy Hub total cholesterol is done, because it’s preventive. “It’s good to know your number so that we can prevent any issues in the future,” she says.
According to Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, breaking cholesterol is an excellent screening test, but understanding the relationship between your bad and good cholesterol is extremely important. “The lower you’re good and the higher you’re bad, the much greater your risk for developing all sorts of cardiovascular disease,” he points out. Community Health is important for everyone. Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, says the Healthy Hub is the opportunity to partner with all of the members of our community, not just people who were involved directly in health but our policemen, firemen, teachers, among others.
“In order to be healthy, you have to live in a community that gives you the opportunity to be healthy, with sidewalks, bike paths and parks,” he points out. A Healthy Hub offers checking your numbers and provides additional resources to help you get or stay healthy. They will tell you about how healthy your current lifestyle is, how you can improve your lifestyle and info about health resources in your community.
Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, says they can get people on their first go-round to stop smoking. “It is important from a community health perspective that the hub gives you the opportunity to learn all this critical and vital information in a very short period of time,” he highlights. Preventive Care is very important because it not only protects you in the present but it will do it in the future.
Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, says treating your high blood pressure today with pennies a day of generic medication will go a long way to preventing complications in the future.
He recommends knowing your numbers and acting on your numbers to stay healthy. Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, explains high blood pressure has been described as the silent killer. “You don’t really know what your blood pressure is unless you actually check it and it’s now estimated that up to one in two adult American have above ideal blood pressure,” he says.
He recommends doing some changes in your lifestyle before your blood pressure goes 140/90, because he as a doctor sees damages in organs when the pressure is that high. The Underline is another community initiative to stay healthy. Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, says it is a 10-mile path that is going to go from Dadeland South all the way to the Miami River.
There is also a project to bring the hub to the community as they expand the community to become healthier and giving people better opportunity to be active and to move. West Kendall Baptist Hospital has started an initiative called the Healthy Hub. According to Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health, the Healthy Hub is an opportunity for people as they make their way into the hospital for a variety of community events or visiting love ones, among others.
He explains with it people can learn about their most important life functions, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar; or learn about their nutrition, weight and smoking status.
