CINCINNATI – PatientPoint® and the American Heart Association today announced a collaboration bringing empowering heart attack and stroke survivor stories from the 2021 Class of Go Red for Women® Real Women campaign to the offices of nearly 35,000 healthcare professionals nationwide. Beginning in February for American Heart Month and throughout the rest of the year, PatientPoint will feature stories from 2021 Go Red for Women Real Women on its digital waiting room screens and exam room touchscreens in physician offices across the country.
Heart disease remains the leading killer of women in the U.S., killing one in three women every year. Research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women and new data suggests younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, along with Black and Hispanic women, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes.
Go Red for Women, nationally sponsored by CVS Health, is the American Heart Association’s signature initiative to end heart disease and stroke in women. Go Red for Women is working in communities around the country and around the world to help women understand that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat and that they should take action to lower their risk.
By featuring bold stories from the 2021 Go Red for Women Real Women campaign at the point of care, PatientPoint and the American Heart Association aim to highlight the urgent need for women of all ages to take charge of their health where and when health is top of mind.
“Too many women, particularly younger women and women of color, remain unaware that cardiovascular disease is their No. 1 killer. The 2021 Class of Real Women is our youngest class yet, highlighting the urgent need for women of all ages to take action,” said Mitch Elkind, M.D., M.S., FAHA, FAAN, president of the American Heart Association and professor of neurology and epidemiology at Columbia University in New York City. “We’re grateful to PatientPoint for bringing our 2021 Real Women to the physician’s office, a place where we hope they can inspire and empower women to work with their healthcare providers to make their health a priority.”
2021 Real Women to be featured on PatientPoint waiting room and exam room digital screens include:
- Dani Aylsworth, 33(Santa Rosa Beach, FL): Army combat veteran who battled PTSD, addiction and heart failure.
- Megan Corbin, 30 (Crescent City, CA): A professional dancer who had a heart attack despite being in peak physical shape. Megan’s message: heart attacks can happen at any age.
- Melissa Sloan-Williams, 39 (Fenton, MO): Under constant stress as a registered medical assistant, Melissa developed Type 2 diabetes and had a heart attack in her early 30s.
- Steffany Quintana, 26 (Houston, TX): Lost the ability to talk, swallow food and walk unassisted after her stroke last year. Steffany hopes her story will raise awareness about the impact of stroke.
“PatientPoint and the American Heart Association share the common goal of empowering and supporting women to achieve better health and that shines through in this collaboration,” said PatientPoint Executive Vice President of Content & Creative Kate Merz. “We’re proud to bring these incredible stories of survival to our point-of-care platforms to help spark important, life-saving conversations between women and healthcare providers.”