VALHALLA, N.Y. (February 5, 2024) – Fern, a Westchester County resident, awoke recently with excruciating pain. It passed and she didn’t think much of it until the headaches started and persisted. Finally, knowing that she had a history of heart disease in her family, Fern decided to see a cardiologist, but she couldn’t get an appointment. Then a friend told her about Westchester Medical Center’s Same-Day Cardiology program. Fern called and got an appointment the very next day.
“It’s a good thing I did,’ said Fern. “If I had gone any further at home, I wouldn’t be here today. I ended up going for immediate surgery; I have two stents in my heart now. They saved my life!”
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| Fern's participation in the Same-Day Cardiology Program may have saved her life. Fern (R), is with (L-R) Julio Panza, MD, and Dominica Potenza, DNP |
WMCHealth’s investment in local and regional heart disease care and prevention also includes the Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program, which advocates proactive heart-healthy practices to head off heart issues. Since the launch of the program April 2022, participants have seen an average decrease of low-density lipoproteins (LDL - the “bad cholesterol”) of 17 percent and a five-point drop in blood pressure.
Kristina Kropp, who works in healthcare herself, said she has lost 100 pounds, and her blood pressure has dropped dramatically since she started with the program a year ago. Kropp, who has a history of heart disease in her family, said she did not want to follow down the same path as her mother and father.
“I am 30 years old; I have a 5-year-old and a family. I do not want to have a heart attack,” Kropp said. “After meeting with the heart disease prevention specialists at Westchester Medical Center, I started eating better and taking walks at lunch.’’
Kropp said the strategies the program taught her were easy to adopt and fit her lifestyle, not like fad diets.
“Smoothies for breakfast, a protein packed lunch and a lighter dinner,” she said. “Meatless Mondays, there are so many ways to do this.”
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| An old shirt illustrates just how much weight Kristina Kropp lost after joining Westchester Medical Center's heart disease prevention program. |
Combating America’s #1 Killer
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and according to the American Heart Association, about 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable.
The Same-Day Cardiology Program at Westchester Medical Center is available to the community weekdays from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Individuals who request an initial appointment by calling 914.909.6917 between 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. will be scheduled for the same day. Appointment requests after 2 p.m. will occur within 24 hours, ideally the next morning, except for weekends and holidays.
The Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program (CHPDP), offers a comprehensive physical exam with screenings for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and blood sugar levels, factors that increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions. The program's multi-disciplinary staff includes cardiologists, endocrinologists, nurse practitioners and dietitians who place special emphasis on the latest guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. To schedule an appointment or refer a patient, community members should call 914.909.6922.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with nine hospitals on seven campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level I (adult and pediatric), Level II and Level III trauma centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.