The Radisson Star Plaza was filled with ladies and gentlemen of all ages and races on Sunday afternoon. The third annual Day of Dance for Your Health was being presented by Franciscan Alliance, Inc. and it proved to be a wonderful and interactive way to educate the community on health and wellness. This may be the third annual event locally, but it is the 10th anniversary for National Day of Dance and this makes it the biggest dance party for health awareness in the US.
Amy Delahunty, Regional Outreach and Spirit of Women Program Coordininator for Franciscan Alliance, Inc. helped to put this entire event together. She stood by and watched excitedly as the men and women enjoyed the activities and professionals available to them.
"The Spirit of Women coordinates these events all across the country and it's to help bring awareness to cardiovascular disease," Delahunty said. "We provide free health screenings and we have our Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness instructors come to lead people in dance exercise programs and also open dancing just to encourage everyone to do more."
The number one cause of death for individuals in the region is cardiovascular disease. Franciscan Alliance knows that so not only were there free health screenings available and lots of dancing like no one was watching, there was also a shopping bazaar full of great vendors and special presentations put on by license physicians. All of the stops were pulled out so that those attending the Day of Dance could get the most from what was offered.
"We have people that are not only providing free health screenings but they are also providing free information," Delahunty continued. "You can ask questions, you can sit down with some of our folks from the early heart attack care organization and learn about stroke awareness and all sorts of different things that will help you learn about how to get healthy and stay healthy."
The aforementioned presentations were really Q and A sessions that people could get in on. The program was called Dessert with the Docs, and patrons could ask pertinent questions and get on-on-one time with health care professionals. The doctors on deck were:
- Paul Jones, MD, FACP, FACC. Dr. Jones' presentation was about other factors that come along with heart disease. It was called "Cardiovascular Disease: It's More Than Just Your Heart!"
- Stephanie Marshall, DO, FACOI. Her presentation was geared toward the ladies as it was entitled "The Heart of a Woman"
- Eias Jweied, MD, PhD. His presentation was about taking preventative measures. It was called "Knowledge is Power: Simple Ways to Reduce Risk for Cardiovascular Disease"
Two attendees, Patti Jabaay and Carol Lagestee came to the Day of Dance on a recommendation.
"My husband is in heart rehab and he found out from the rehab nurse that this was going on and he recommended that we come here today," Jabaay said. "I called Carol up and said, 'I have something we need to go do.' It's a pleasure to see all of these people here that are giving their time to everyone. People are getting information here that they normally wouldn't get unless they went to see a specialist."
"I actually learned quite a bit. I made some appointments that I have been putting off and I am glad that I came," Lagestee said.
One could call this event an education in motion. There was dancing from the beginning to end in the main ballroom at the Radisson. The Omni Health and Fitness instructors keep everyone moving with energetic music and fun dance moves that got the heart rate up, and women as well as men gained valuable knowledge to help them be good to their hearts and bodies.
Ellen Sharpe, Regional Director of Physician and Outreach Marketing, was also part of making this event possible.
"Amy and I worked very hard to make this event special for the men and women of Northwest Indiana that came here today," Sharpe said. "This is a day for them. A day of dance, a day of movement, healthy eating, physician education...This year we are concentrating more on the movement and exercise portion of it because statistics say that if you want to do one thing for you health to improve it, then including exercise is the one thing you can do. I love this event."
And so did many others. Be on the lookout for the Franciscan Alliance Day of Dance for Your Health next year! We can't wait to see what kind of things the Spirit of Women Hospital Network will be planning for 2015!
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