• Awash in a Lovely Red Sea

"Go Red for Women" observance in Rochester
"Go Red for Women" observance in Rochester

As a woman with heart disease who works at Mayo, I arrived on Friday, Feb. 6, National Wear Red Day, and made my way through hallways and into elevators that were filled with people dressed in a rainbow of  shades of red!  Being awash in a lovely red sea of Mayo employees coming out to support women's heart health was very encouraging.

What felt so positive was to see that as a medical facility we walked the walk and talked the talk. As part of the celebration, employees joined together for a walk to support the importance of exercise in heart health.  Then, we listened to Dr. Sharrone Hayes, director of the Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic, describe the journey women (and men) need to take to maintain a healthy heart.

If one person heeds the message of knowing their numbers for cholesterol, including HDL and LDL, blood pressure and weight, and if one person considers early detection, proper diagnosis and treatment, then the Wear Red Day met its goal and that red sea of people delivered the message!

As an employee, I felt proud. As a patient I felt cared for by the doctors, nurses, medical technicians, administrators, and all allied staff who came together in red!