Message from the Chief of Staff

Subject: MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF STAFF
Importance: High

I inherited a history of heart disease. One of my only memories of my paternal grandmother is when I was about six years old and visiting her home in Tennessee. Late at night, a doctor came to the house. I was shuffled off to bed. In the morning, there was an empty syringe in the ash tray. My dad explained that grandmother had a bad heart and the doctor had given her some medicine. She passed away a few years later.

When I was in college, my own father woke up dead one morning. In the early morning hours, he was reading peacefully on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, book in his lap. He never woke up. “Sudden death myocardial infarction.” No ash tray at this point, but also no known heart disease. He had no primary care provider, and never had his cholesterol or blood pressure monitored. He had recently treated his “really bad heartburn” with Maalox. He never received all the routine preventative health care maintenance we have access to and expect today.

You can’t pick your genes or whether your parents smoke, but you can change your diet or behavior, or get yourself to your own health care screenings. Why not catch up your appointments in February? Or take up a healthy habit? Do something good for your own heart.

Click HERE to go to NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute site to review their February weekly themed chart on ways you can get involved to help encourage and motivate others to get heart healthy! And be sure to WEAR RED on Friday, February 1 for WEAR RED DAY.

For those of you at the Walla Walla campus, consider joining your fellow employees and your community for a short heart healthy walk around the Parade Grounds at 11:45 a.m. (meet in front of Bldg. 86). A WEAR RED group picture will be taken before the walk starts (be sure to come out for the picture even if you can’t participate in the walk!). For our CBOCs, find a way to recognize and celebrate National Heart Health Month this Friday by organizing a short walk outside, around the building or parking lot. And be sure to WEAR RED and share a group picture(s) with Public Affairs.

Let’s GO RED FOR WOMEN and GO RED FOR HEART HEALTH!

Melanie M. Thompson, M.D., MPH

Chief of Staff

Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VAMC

509.525.5200 x26498