During the month of February, the students at the Ross Medical Education Center Taylor, Michigan campus celebrated Valentine’s Day in full fashion by wearing red! The campus was bright in hues of red, not only for the holiday, but also in recognition of American Heart Month. It was of great importance for Ross students to be a part of Heart Month as cardiovascular diseases have devastating effects and claim more lives annually than all forms of cancer combined.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, according to the American Heart Association, claiming the lives of one in four men and one in three deaths among women each year, killing one woman approximately every 80 seconds. The students sporting red helped bring awareness to this horrible disease, and wearing red is recognized as a national reminder to encourage others to do the same and schedule a wellness visit. For women, a Well-Woman Visit is recommended, and includes prevention check-up to review a woman’s overall health so her doctor can measure blood pressure, check cholesterol and look for signs of heart disease, stroke and other illnesses.
The students in the Taylor Medical Assistant program then attended a field trip to Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital the week of Valentine’s Day to be further informed about American Heart Month. The event, Heart Health: Advances in Cardiology Prevention & Treatment, was led by Dr. Syed Jafri who spoke on advances in cardiology, heart disease prevention, and treatment options as well as answered questions. Dr. Syed Jafri is a cardiologist in Allen Park, Michigan and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital and Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center. The seminar also included insight from a clinical pharmacist and a registered dietitian.
One of the student said of the seminar, “I learned that your LDL is bad cholesterol and that HDL is good cholesterol and can help reduce the number of LDLs. LDL is the cholesterol that sticks to walls of arteries and causes blockages.” Another student’s perspective of the registered dietitian’s speech included, “the dietitian explained why it is so important to eat healthy and exercise daily because it helps prevent a heart attack.” Healthy refreshments and free blood pressure screenings were also a treat of the event.
The Taylor campus then rounded up Heart Month and the holiday celebration with a Sweetheart Basket Raffle. The students were given tickets at the end of class for a chance to win a beautiful movie gift basket made by the campus’ Assistant Campus Director of Admissions Petra Miskelley. The basket included all types of goodies including candy, popcorn, and a movie gift card for two. Medical Assistant student, Crystal Chaffold, was the lucky winner of the draw!