It seems that no matter where you turn, we are constantly being urged to get screened – screened for breast cancer, screened for blood pressure, bone density, cholesterol and, of course, your heart risk. You name it and there’s a screening for it. There’s no doubt that prevention is important but short of a visit to your doctor, where can you find screening? More importantly, in today’s tough economic times, where can you find affordable screening?
Enter Sister to Sister, The Women’s Heart Health Foundation (http://www.sistertosister.org/). Sister to Sister is a foundation which was first started in 2000 by Irene Pollin, a women’s health advocate. The Sister to Sister foundation has a three-fold mission:
•To increase awareness among women that heart disease is our number-one killer.
•To offer women free cardiac screenings for early detection and treatment.
•To educate women that healthy lifestyle changes can reduce heart disease risk dramatically.
According to their website, the Sister to Sister foundation is currently the leader in providing free screenings to women for heart disease. Sister to Sister is responsible for screening more than 80,000 women in the United States. Sister to Sister also hosts annual heart health screening fairs which provide women with free heart screenings, along with educational materials and post-fair counseling. Fairs have been held in more than 20 cities and upcoming events are easily located on the “events” tab on the home page of their website.
In addition to heart screening fairs, Sister to Sister also sponsored numerous other programs, including a Cardiologist Development Program, training for women in leadership to help promote and foster heart education, research, and of course, numerous tools, risk assessments, recipes, guidelines on healthy living and a strong online community forum.
While anyone can use the resources on the website, Sister to Sister does have a “Save a Heart” membership donation program with a $50 and $100 donation levels. The website indicates that 100 percent of the membership donation funds are used for education, heart screenings and health programs such as the annual health fairs, free screenings and counseling.
In addition to the Save a Heart membership donation, Sister to Sister also promotes the foundation goals by the Save Four program. Currently, heart disease kills one out of every four women. The Save Four program asks that you pledge to get screened for heart disease and that you tell three of your friends and ask them to do the same. Then, follow through on the screening and take action to improve your heart health as necessary. They even provide a screening locator on the website where you can easily find places within your zip code area that will provide the heart screening services, the cost (if any) and whether or not they accept insurance.
If you’re interested in a site that specializes not only in heart health, but specifically heart health for women, then Sister to Sister just may be a place you want to visit.
Until next time, here’s wishing you a healthy heart.
Source:
Sister to Sister, The Women’s Heart Health Foundation, 2010, http://www.sistertosister.org/heart-healthy/get-screened