CINCINNATI (March 14, 2023) – Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in Latina women and approximately half of Hispanic/Latina women have cardiovascular disease. Lead by Women’s Heart Center at The Christ Hospital Health Network, several Greater Cincinnati health groups have joined together to launch a Latina Heart Health Awareness Campaign. This new collaboration aims to shed a spotlight on the high prevalence of heart disease in the Latino community.
The campaign is spearheaded by Odayme Quesada, MD, Medical Director, Women’s Heart Center at The Christ Hospital Health Network and the Greater Cincinnati American Heart Association. Joining the effort is Lorena Mora Mowry from Mujer Latina Today, the Latino Affairs Commission of Ohio, Institute for Health Equity and Innovation, the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA, Northern Kentucky Esperanza Latino Center, Fairfield Lane Public Library, La Mega and the Latino Health Collaborative.
“There is a disproportionately high incidence of heart disease within the Latino community because of prevalent risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and lack of exercise,” said Dr. Quesada. “It is critical that we educate Latinas about how to reduce these risk factors and instill necessary lifestyle modifications.”
The Latina Heart Health Awareness Campaign intends to meet people where they are at community events, including the Tan Latina Como Tu Expo on Sunday, March 19, 2022, from 12:00 to 6:00 PM at the Sharonville Convention Center. Dr. Quesada will speak about cardiovascular health among Latinas. Dr Maria Espinola, Psy.D, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Health Equity and Innovation will speak about the relationship between mental and physical health.
Registration is free. Click here to register.
The Latina Heart Health Campaign includes a series of informational videos in Spanish that can be found at here
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up for more than 1,300 physicians and more than 6,500 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region, named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2023 and one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience.