Intermountain Health Heart Health Fairs in Colorado Encourage Community to Make Heart Care a Team Effort

Heart Fair 1

Intermountain Health will host four Heart Health Fairs on Friday, Feb. 6 across Colorado to kick off National Heart Month, reminding the community that good heart health can be a team sport.

The events in Denver, Grand Junction, Lafayette and Wheat Ridge, will give community members education and tools to help them improve heart health.

Abbie Donaldson, RN, is the chest pain coordinator at Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital and spent several years working in the cardiac intensive care unit and cardiac cath lab. She said knowing that individuals can make a difference in heart health has inspired her work.   

“With risk factor modification and educating the community on heart attack care and CPR, we can come together, and we can take actionable measures to help people save lives,” she said.  

At the health fair, people can practice hands-only CPR. Donaldson said accurate, aggressive CPR started on someone who has suffered a cardiac event outside the hospital increases that person’s chance of survival by 85-90%. They also can see a demonstration of an automated external defibrillator (AED) that can be lifesaving when used with someone who has lethal heart arrythmia.   

“The best thing to do when someone suffers from a cardiac event is to start CPR, call for help and have someone go find an AED nearby,” Donaldson said.   

Other topics covered at the health fairs will include:  

• Smoking cessation
• Symptoms of heart attack or stroke
• Stroke education and prevention
• Heart-healthy exercise
• Mindfulness and stress reduction
• Blood pressure screening
• Hands-only CPR and AED demonstrations
• Nutrition and healthy snacks
• American Heart Association information and more. 

Health fairs will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 at Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital, 200 Exempla Circle, Lafayette; Lutheran Hospital, 12911 W. 40th Ave., Wheat Ridge; and Saint Joseph Hospital, 1375 E. 19th Ave., Denver. In Grand Junction at Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital, 2635 N. 7th St., the event is 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 6.

Organizers encourage everyone to Wear Red for the day to celebrate the kickoff of National Heart Month.

Note: If members of the media want to attend, please contact Sara Quale, sara.quale@imail.org or call 970-310-3749, to coordinate.