OhioHealth Introduces Facebook Application to Track Heart-Healthy Behaviors

COLUMBUS, Ohio – OhioHealth is celebrating Heart Month 2012 in February with a new Facebook application titled “Heartbeats to Health.” It lets users record heart-healthy activities that will drive OhioHealth donations to the American Heart Association.

For every heart-healthy choice a participant enters on its Facebook page, OhioHealth will donate $1 to an overall goal of raising $10,000 for American Heart Association. OhioHealth aims to encourage heart-healthy behaviors, heighten heart disease awareness, and support the heart association’s mission of education, research and advocacy.

The campaign will continue through February with Ohio’s First Lady Karen W. Kasich serving as the spokesperson.

"Heart health is a deeply personal issue for me. I've lost many family members and friends to complications of heart disease, including both of my parents," said Mrs. Kasich. "We can't change our heredity, but the good news is that heart disease is largely preventable. Through this campaign, we all have the opportunity to take an active role in preventing heart disease--in our community and at home."

Heart disease deaths have fallen nearly 28 percent in recent years. The heart association attributes nearly half of the decline to changes in risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol levels.

“There are many things people can do to prevent heart disease,” said Dr. Teresa Caulin-Glaser, System Vice President of Heart and Vascular Services for OhioHealth. “Diet and lifestyle play a very important role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, stress, obesity and diabetes are other factors that we can control.”

Users access the Facebook app directly by visiting www.OhioHealth.com/heartbeats and they earn points, or “heartbeats,” for healthy behaviors in one of four categories: “Eating Better,” “Get Moving,” “De-Stressed” and “Changed My Life.”

Points are awarded for small changes such skipping the cream for your coffee or taking a 10-minute walk at lunch. Participants are also encouraged to make big changes like stop smoking or take the OhioHealth online Heart Health Risk Assessment to earn points toward the 10,000 goal. To begin earning points, users simply visit www.OhioHealth.com/heartbeats to record daily heart-healthy activities.

Using Facebook as a platform gives participants the opportunity to share their progress with others and create friendly competitions and group efforts. “We designed this to be a fun experience that gets everyone involved in the process of getting heart healthy,” said Dr. Caulin-Glaser.

The site includes a letter and videos from Mrs. Kasich and tips for heart-smart behaviors. It continues OhioHealth’s commitment to connecting the community with education, services and clinical expertise in non-traditional healthcare settings.

“Social media is a great way for friends and colleagues to connect around this issue and share small steps that can make a big difference in the process of getting heart healthy with the added benefit of supporting the American Heart Association,” Dr. Caulin-Glaser said. OhioHealth is a local sponsor of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women.

OhioHealth partnered with Doner, a full-service advertising agency based in Southfield, MI, to create the app.

About OhioHealth
OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community. Named by Thomson Reuters as one of the 10 best healthcare systems in America three years in a row, OhioHealth has also been recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a family of 21,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, 18 hospitals, 23 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health service suppliers throughout a 40-county area. OhioHealth member hospitals include Riverside Methodist Hospital, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital-Columbus, Grady Memorial Hospital, Dublin Methodist Hospital, Doctors Hospital-Nelsonville, Hardin Memorial Hospital and Marion General Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

For more information, contact:
Christina J. Fitzer  
Media Relations Manager
OhioHealth
Office (614) 566-4517
Mobile (614) 406-7623
cfitzer@ohiohealth.com