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Little Hats, Big Hearts project caps off cardiac awareness program for pediatric patients

Closeup of baby sleeping

People love to “ooh and aah” over newborns, and several Denver-area HCA Healthcare facilities are taking those moments to provide a little education about heart defects and congenital heart disease.

Six HealthONE hospitals partnered with the American Heart Association in Denver to give every baby born in February a little red hat. Many staffers made the hats themselves, and others were received from volunteers throughout Colorado and around the United states. All told, 3,581 were given away.

“We heard about the program from one of our CV directors who had seen it executed in another market, and we immediately knew we really wanted to participate,” says Stephanie Sullivan, director of media relations and community affairs for HealthONE. “February is heart awareness month, and so along with the hand-knit red hats, we distributed information that describes congenital heart defects and heart disease so that our patients can learn about the issue. It was such a compelling way to share the information in the community, because the hats were adorable and people were very eager to receive one.”

The program will repeat at the hospitals in February 2017, and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children is looking to expand it to a year-round operation.

“When we find something this successful that promotes knowledge around heart health, we want to leverage it,” Sullivan says.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, is comprised of 183 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our more than 283,000 colleagues are connected by a single purpose — to give patients healthier tomorrows.

As an enterprise, we recognize the significant responsibility we have as a leading healthcare provider within each of the communities we serve, as well as the opportunity we have to improve the lives of the patients for whom we are entrusted to care. Through the compassion, knowledge and skill of our caregivers, and our ability to leverage our scale and innovative capabilities, HCA Healthcare is in a unique position to play a leading role in the transformation of care.

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