Pacific’s Operation Heart health care outreach committee is on a mission to combat the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. one person dies every 36 seconds from heart disease.

“I wanted to be a part of Operation Heart because cardiovascular diseases are silent killers that affect millions of people every year,” said doctor of pharmacy student and Operation Heart co-chair Elaine Kim ’23. “I hoped to learn more about heart health so I could advocate for more accessible health care and educate patients on preventative care. I also wanted to be involved in the hands-on screening services Operation Heart offers and the awareness activities we host.”

Meikela Turingan ’23, Operation Heart co-chair, personally understands the importance of keeping one’s heart healthy.

“I wanted to be an active member in promoting cardiovascular health to the community and even to my own family, where cardiovascular diseases are prevalent,” said Turingan.

Since 1964, February has been designated as American Heart Month. Show support for women’s heart health by wearing red on February 4.

“Awareness events allow us to use education as a powerful tool to combat myths about cardiovascular health and clarify patients’ misconceptions about their health,” Turingan said. “As cardiovascular clinical guidelines continue to evolve, it is important for us as health care providers to keep our knowledge updated so that we can accurately educate and successfully treat our patients.”

Pharmacists promote heart health by serving as accessible sources of information, helping patients effectively take medications and advocating for prevention strategies with lifestyle changes.

The best way to keep one’s heart healthy is through healthy eating and a physically active lifestyle. Reducing high blood pressure and managing stress are also important. The American Heart Association has a rich trove of resources to encourage individuals to make changes, one small step at a time, which become part of a healthy lifestyle.

Operation Heart partners with the Operation Diabetes committee to provide blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose screenings at health care outreach clinics. They will be participating in two upcoming clinics serving the Stockton community.

Saturday, Feb. 26 | 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Victory in Praise Church
2029 E Harding Way, Stockton, CA 95205              

Friday, March 18 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Gospel Center Rescue Mission
445 S San Joaquin St., Stockton, CA 95203

To make an appointment or for more information, contact diabetesclinics@pacific.edu or 209.932.4200.

“Stayin’ Alive” can save a life

Administering hands-only CPR after an individual has experienced a heart attack could save their life.

• Act fast, a delay of even a few minutes could mean the difference between life and death.
• Call 911 and keep your phone on speaker mode or ask someone else to call immediately.
• Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 compression per minute. The tempo of the Bee Gees’ hit song “Stayin’ Alive” is a good rate for chest compressions.