Program on Women & Heart Disease to Start Hoke Education Series
| Date Posted: 2/5/2014
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Debbie R. Thomasson, M.D. |
RAEFORD – The most important thing women should know about heart disease, which has long been known as a killer of men, is that they are not immune, according to Debbie R. Thomasson, M.D., a board certified cardiologist with FirstHealth Primary Care & Cardiology-Hoke.
In fact, Dr. Thomasson says, “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. Every minute, someone’s wife, mother, daughter or sister dies from some form of cardiovascular disease. One in three women suffers from CV disease.”
This is the basis of the message that Dr. Thomasson will share during the first program in the Hoke Education Series, a series of four monthly sessions designed to inform the Hoke County community about common health issues. The program on “Women and Heart Disease” will kick off the series at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the Conference Room of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke Campus.
Also featured will be Holly Sinnott, coordinator of the Exercise is Medicine program offered by the FirstHealth Centers for Health & Fitness. Exercise as a component in heart disease prevention will also be discussed during the upcoming program.
“Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease in both women and men,” Dr. Thomasson says. “Thirty minutes daily of moderate aerobic exercise is recommended. If that seems time-prohibited, start with 10 minutes and increase every other week or so. Ten-minute sessions several times per day are sometimes easier to fit into a busy schedule, and regular exercise can strengthen the entire body, including the heart.”
The Hoke Education Series will continue monthly through May with the following programs:
- “Managing Diabetes: How to Avoid an Ulcer,” Tuesday, March 25, Jeffrey Gibbons, M.D., Wound Care & Hyperbarics-Hoke
- “Living without Pain: Treatment Options for Aching Joints – from Physical Therapy to Surgery,” Tuesday, April 29, Ward Oakley, M.D.; Scott Olson, PA-C; and David Botnick, P.T., DPT
- “Emergency Department vs. Convenient Care for Summer Emergencies,” Tuesday, May 20, Matthew Harmody, M.D.
All programs will begin at 6 p.m. in the Conference Room at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Hoke Campus, 6545 Fayetteville Road, Raeford.
The Hoke Education Series is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, call (800) 213-3284 toll-free.
