NHS Gives The Boots To Heart Niagara. Decades-Old Agency Needs A New Home

(Niagara At Large is pleased to post the following media release from Heart Niagara, an agency that has received international attention for its heart-care work. After 35 years, the agency has been informed by the Niagara Health System – the amalgamated board for most hospital services in Niagara for the past decade -that the in-kind space it has enjoyed at the Niagara Falls hospital site for the past 35 years is no longer available. )

Heart Niagara is reaching out for community support as they search for a new home in Niagara.

Heart Niagara has recently been informed by the Niagara Health System that the in-kind space they have been providing for the last 35 years will no longer be available due to the need to increase NHS–GNG site isolation bed capacity for patients requiring isolation. The relocation will see administrative areas moved from clinical areas and placed in the Allied Health Centre, leaving Heart Niagara without a site to work from.
Currently located at the Allied Health Centre in Niagara Falls, Heart Niagara is actively looking for space and community partners to support the transition to a new flagship site as the current location will no longer be available as of March 15, 2012.

We would like to thank the Niagara Health System and the Greater Niagara General Site for their contribution over the past 35 years and look towards establishing a new centralized location that will support the work we have done and will continue to do.

A non-profit health care provider, Heart Niagara has provided cardiac health services, promotion and education throughout the Niagara Region for the last 35 years. A recognized architect of increased access to health services in Niagara, Heart Niagara has leveraged partnerships and built community assets/capacity without adding to provincial healthcare budgets. These accomplishments have been made possible due in part to health professionals’ innovation,
donor support, corporation in-kind, and municipal support;

_ Heart Niagara cardiovascular research data is being presented nationally and internationally and has published in
the Journal Paediatric in cooperation with Hospital for Sick Children
_ Cardiac Rehabilitation services provided to over 6,000 Niagara residents by 2006. The Program had a 82%
compliance rate
_ CPR training delivered to over 50,000 Niagara residents
_ Strategic support in placing more that 270 defibrillators throughout the Niagara region
_ Annually CPR and AED training over 7,000 adolescents within the school system.
_ Identify more than 600 adolescents and their families at greater risk for cardiovascular disease annually through
the Heart Healthy Schools’ Program
_ Provided international attention to the Niagara region as early adopters and innovators of adolescent prevention
strategies.
_ Identifying and referring close to 10% of grade 9 students for further evaluation regarding childhood obesity
_ Strengthened the link to Sick Kids Hospital for Niagara children, youth and adolescents requiring follow-up on
cardiovascular risk
_ Heart Niagara with support from each of the School Boards is in a position to validate the new Peadiatric Cardiovascular Risk Guidelines for North America.
_ Key programming that provides data to support early detection of heart disease which is the key to lifelong heart health.
_ As in the past (GNG site) we will have an epicentre for hundreds of volunteer; cardiac disease survivors, community members, students, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, paramedics and other disciplines.
We need your help. If Heart Niagara is going to survive we will need “Heart Transplant” donors from our Niagara Community. We are not asking you to give your heart but to give from your heart as we reach out to Niagara residents for assistance.

Heart Niagara need a new home and your financial support so that we can continue to be a leader in finding a solution to
turn the healthcare cost curve throughout the Niagara Region.
_ For more detail visit  www.heartniagara.com  or email info@heartniagara.com
_ Media call Karen Stearne, Executive Director Heart Niagara, 905- 358-5552.

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