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

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.