Running head: PMC PROFESSIONALS SUPPORT WOMEN’S HEALTH 1

The Significance of Developing a Women’s Heart Health Campaign in Southeastern Kentucky

Elisha Taylor
Purdue University
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“Having been awarded Chest Pain with PCI accreditation by the American College of

Cardiology, our patients can have the utmost confidence that we will provide them the best care

possible,” according to Jamessa Scott, Coordinator of Pikeville Medical Center’s accreditation

council (PMC, 2019). But did you know that men and women have differing heart health

guidelines and heart disease symptoms? While men typically experience pain in their left arm

and chest during a heart attack, women can experience numbness, sweating, fatigue, or even

stomach pain and heart burn (American Heart Association, 2019). These symptoms can often be

overlooked in women, and it is becoming increasingly common for women to ignore pre-

screening events because their symptoms do not match those commonly listed. In fact,

approximately 64% of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms

(CDC, 2013).

In 2013, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed heart disease as the

leading cause of death for women in the U.S. (CDC, 2013), with a high concentration in the

southeastern regions. As a leading healthcare organization in eastern Appalachia, Pikeville

Medical Center (PMC) is in the distinct position to lead a female focused heart health campaign.

With PMC’s new Heart Health initiative and the upcoming construction plans for a heart and

vascular institute (Pikeville Medical Center, 2019), there is no better time to begin the Women’s

Heart Health initiative and deliver measurable results in fighting heart disease in the southeastern

United States.

Why should PMC get involved? Did you know:

 The 2018 American Community Survey and Census Bureau found that the ratio

of gender in Kentucky is 49% male and 51% female (TownCharts, 2018). In the

medical community, lists of heart attack and stroke symptoms are generally
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focused on those experienced by men. This excludes approximately half of

Kentucky’s population.

 One in every four female deaths are related to heart disease (CDC, 2013).

 An angiogram is the standard first step a doctor will take if a heart attack is

suspected, however, this test may miss a type of heart disease more commonly

experienced by women called coronary microvascular disease, which is just as

dangerous but easily overlooked (Levine, 2017).

By generalizing the typical symptoms seen in heart disease patients, PMC risks

overlooking gender significant symptoms and providing less than top quality patient care. The

creation and implementation of a Women’s Heart Health Initiative would ensure equal care is

being provided for both male and female patients. It also represents how important it is for

women to pre-screen against heart disease and would eventually reduce the number of women

who lose their lives to the disease annually.

Who is the campaign’s target audience?

Women: This applies to women who live within the region PMC serves. These

individuals would receive encouragement for pre-screening, information regarding symptom

identification and differentiation, and hospital or other medical resources as necessary. This

would also drive patient interest and encourage continued use of medical resources.

The Media: “Free advertising” through news stories covering the Initiative and

informational press statements would be key in developing interest in the campaign and PMC’s

motivations and actions throughout its development and implementation.

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Stakeholders: Investment opportunities and the promise of name recognition has been

known to lure investors to the organization previously. Buildings such as the Leonard Lawson

Cancer Center, Jean H. Johnson Diagnostic Center, George F. Johnson Out-Patient

Rehabilitation Center, and the Pam May Clinic Building were all made possible by investors

interested in driving innovation and opportunity in their chosen areas within the medical center.

This campaign could act similarly by motivating investors to take an interest in the issue of

women’s health. Given the newest construction project mentioned above, this is the perfect time

to encourage investment opportunities and begin building investor relationships.

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References
American Heart Association. (2019). Warning Signs of a Heart Attack. Retrieved from
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). Division for Heart Disease and
Stroke Prevention: Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm
Levine, H. (2017, May 18). Women’s Health, Men’s Health: Why Gender Matters. Consumer
Reports. Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/health/how-womens-health-
and-mens-health-differ/
Pikeville Medical Center. (2019, January 17). PMC Heart and Vascular Institute Receives Chest
Pain Accreditation Through The American College of Cardiology [Press release].
Retrieved from https://www.pikevillehospital.org/pmc-heart-and-vascular-institute-
receives-chest-pain-accreditation-through-the-american-college-of-cardiology/
TownCharts. (2018). Kentucky Demographics Data. Census Bureau. Retrieved from
http://www.towncharts.com/Kentucky/Kentucky-state-Demographics-data.html