Mayor Nickels Proclaims October 12 Women’s Heart Health Day

SEATTLE, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ — Northwest Hospital & Medical Center today announced that Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has proclaimed October 12, 2006, “Women’s Heart Health Day.” The special day is intended to help raise awareness of the heart disease risks, symptoms and treatments specific to women. The proclamation will be read during “Heart2Heart with Dr. Oz,” an educational luncheon on women’s heart health hosted by Northwest Hospital from 12 – 1:30 p.m. on October 12 at the Washington State Trade & Convention Center.

“The City of Seattle recognizes the importance of addressing the unique health needs of women in our community,” said Mayor Nickels. “We are committed to keeping all women healthy and safe by promoting awareness of health issues that affect them.”

The mayor’s proclamation points out that people often underestimate the dangers of cardiovascular disease — an illness that claims the lives of more than 500,000 women each year and is the leading cause of death among women in our nation.

To underscore the importance of learning more about heart disease, Northwest Hospital created “Heart2Heart with Dr. Oz.” The event will feature Mehmet Oz, M.D., nationally renowned heart surgeon, best-selling author of “You: The Owner’s Manual” and other books, and frequent guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. A professor and vice-chairman of surgery at Columbia University in New York, NY, Dr. Oz is a high-profile spokesperson on health and self-care and speaks internationally on the topic of heart health. At the luncheon, he will address issues related to women and heart disease including risk factors, preventative care and women’s heart attack symptoms, which can vary greatly from those experienced by men.

“Education is a powerful tool in the prevention and treatment of heart disease in women,” says Mehmet Oz, M.D. “I look forward to coming to Seattle to share the latest medical findings on the subject, raise awareness about the potential risks factors for women, and suggest potential lifestyle changes they can make to maximize their potential to live long and happy lives.”

“Northwest Hospital & Medical Center is home to one of the region’s busiest cardiac emergency departments, and we are thrilled to bring Dr. Oz to Seattle, as an innovator of devices and procedures to heal the heart,” says Mark McCampbell, Executive Director of Northwest Hospital Foundation. “Heart disease is the number one cause of death among women in America, and this event is an important educational tool for the Seattle community.”

For additional information about this event, visit http://www.nwhfoundation.org/ or call (206) 368-5945.

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center ( http://www.nwhospital.org/ ), located minutes north of downtown Seattle, opened in 1960 as a nonprofit community hospital. Currently, it has 281 licensed beds and more than 1,600 employees. Major clinical programs and services include: emergency services; critical care; cardiac care; stroke care; cancer care; childbirth services; bariatric surgery; rehabilitation care; neurosciences; diagnostic imaging; geropsychiatric center; Gamma Knife(R) Center; laboratory services; and education and wellness programs. For more information about Northwest Hospital, call 206-364-0500 or the Physician Referral Line at 206-633-4636.

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center

CONTACT: Karen Peck of Northwest Hospital & Medical Center,+1-206-368-1609, or karen.peck@nwhsea.org

Web site: http://www.nwhospital.org/http://www.nwhfoundation.org/