Bellin Health and the Green Bay Packers, as part of the Titletown Wellness initiative, are working to promote American Heart Month in a variety of ways during the month of February. At Lambeau Field, the regular lighting above the Bellin Health Gate has been replaced with red lighting in an effort to further awareness in the community and to show support for the cause.
The month-long focus on heart health – first observed in the United States in 1963 to acknowledge the severity of the fight against cardiovascular disease – seeks to create general awareness of heart disease in communities across the U.S.
The red lighting at the Bellin Health Gate serves as a reminder to area residents and visitors at Lambeau Field to keep heart health top-of-mind.
The Titletown Wellness initiative is an exclusive partnership formed by the Packers and Bellin to identify and implement initiatives – like heart health awareness – that improve the overall health and wellness of people in Northeast Wisconsin.
As part of the month-long event, Bellin will create awareness of a special screening test that helps measure the risk of heart disease. The test measures the amount of hard plaque buildup in the four coronary arteries. Plaque buildup can lead to heart disease if left unchecked. The test, called a calcium screen, is read by a cardiologist. A radiologist reads the chest CT scan portion of the test. Screening results range from zero (no hard plaque in arteries) to greater than 400 (high risk for heart disease). This test does not rule out soft plaque in the arteries.
"The $50 calcium screen test will go a long way toward easing people's concerns about their heart health," said Andrea Werner, vice president, Bellin Heart, Lung and Vascular Center. "We want members of the public to clearly understand the status of their cardiovascular health."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Every year, about 720,000 Americans have a heart attack
- About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year – that's 1 out of every 4 deaths
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women
For more information about the calcium screening, call Bellin Health at (920) 445-7373.
About Titletown Wellness
Titletown Wellness is an exclusive partnership formed by the Green Bay Packers and Bellin Health to identify and implement initiatives that improve the health and wellness of people in this region. Both organizations are working together to develop events and programs to positively impact the health of our community.
About Bellin Health
Bellin Health, www.bellin.org, is an integrated healthcare delivery system based in Green Bay, Wis. It has serviced people in Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula since 1908. Bellin Health has more than 3,500 employees and is known for its emphasis on preventive healthcare and is the region's leader in cardiac, orthopedics, sports medicine, digestive health, mental health, and primary care medicine. It is comprised of Bellin Hospital, Bellin Psychiatric Center, 31 Bellin Health primary care physician clinics, and several retail health clinics known as Bellin Health FastCare. Bellin also operates Bellin Health Partners, a physician-hospital organization with more than 150 specialty physician members, Bellin Health Oconto Hospital, a critical care access hospital in Oconto, Bellin Fitness, and Bellin College. Through its Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners collaboration, the health system is also a participant in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Pioneer Accountable Care Program, generating $10.8 million in savings since 2012.
