The Mother-Baby (postpartum) unit of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach felt an increased need to show their support for National Wear Red Day today. Denise McLean, RN, who has been with the unit since June 2004, has a daughter named Ivy who recently
Courtesy photo
had to have a heart transplant. In support of Ivy and in honor of National Wear Red Day, employees in the unit gathered and made hearts to show their support and wish the best for Ivy and her road to recovery.
Other MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach employees took it upon themselves to commemorate Wear Red Day, donning special red masks and wearing red to raise awareness of the No. 1 killer of American women — heart disease.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease accounts for one in every five female deaths. Although there has been increased awareness of heart disease, only about half of women (56%) know that heart disease is their number one killer.
While men show traditional symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pains or heart palpitations, women may show additional symptoms, such as fatigue, soreness in arms or shoulders and back pain. Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital employees are dedicated to raising awareness of heart disease and encouraging women to learn the signs and symptoms.
The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center provides comprehensive cardiovascular services for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of heart disease for Long Beach residents. The Institute specializes in minimally invasive heart procedures that provide the benefit of fewer complications, less scarring, greater comfort and faster recoveries.