CEO Chairs Community Event That Raises $10,000

FT.  LAUDERDALE, FL -- Florida Medical Center teamed up with the American Heart Association for the 2009 START! Heart Walk to encourage members of the community to walk for better heart health.

More than 6,000 Broward County residents, including over 100 Florida Medical Center employees, embarked on a 3. 1 mile walk at Nova Southeastern University on March 14.

^{The goal was to raise funds for the American Heart Association.}

^{Florida Medical Center raised $10,000, which will provide funding to fight the number one killer of both men and women: heart disease. Florida Medical Center CEO Bob Haley, who was the 2009 Broward County Start! Heart Walk chairman also announced the 2010 chair, Christopher Ciano, CEO of VISTA Health Plans.}

"It was a pleasure working with the American Heart Association on this year’s heart walk," said Bob Haley, the Broward County Start! Heart Walk Chair and CEO of Florida Medical Center.  "The Start! Heart Walk helpsed members of the community learn about the importance of heart health and I am proud of the Florida Medical Center family for giving their all and helping to raise $10,000." 

Florida Medical Center, part of Tenet’s Miami-Dade/Broward Health Network, is a 459-bed acute care hospital founded in 1973 and fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Located at 5000 West Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale in western Broward County, Florida Medical Center offers a broad range of medical and surgical services.  Its Heart Institute of Florida, the hospital’s center for cardiac services, is designated a Premium Cardiac Specialty Center by UnitedHealthcare.  The hospital earned the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award for 2008 from HealthGrades, a leading ratings organization for hospitals and physicians, and it also earned five-star ratings from HealthGrades for its treatment of heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, pneumonia, hip fractures and other ailments.  FMC’s additional services include neurology and neurosurgery, cancer care, orthopedics, urology, psychiatry, gynecology, imaging, pain center, sleep lab, wound care, and 24-hour emergency services.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.  These diseases, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claim about 910,000 lives a year.  In fiscal year 2004–05 the association invested over $473 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.