February 8, 2018
Ursuline College Breen School of Nursing faculty and students will provide free cardiovascular screenings on Valentine’s Day, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., as part of a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022. Dubbed Million Hearts® Day, the effort is an outgrowth of a push by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, and more than 800,000 people die in the U.S. each year as a result of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Each free screening will take between five and 15 minutes and will measure blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and stress scores. Data gathered will enable nurses to educate patients on their heart health. Screenings will take place in the atrium of Ursuline’s Pilla Center for Student Learning. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. Ursuline College is at 2550 Lander Road in Pepper Pike. Signs marked “Special Event” will direct visitors to the Pilla Center.
The Breen School of Nursing is ranked third out of 23 nursing programs in Ohio by College Factual. The program boasts a 100% employment rate post licensure and a 96% first-time passage rate on the state licensing exam for nurses.
Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, dean of the Breen School of Nursing, said the free screenings are a public service in line with the College’s mission of educating students for service, leadership and professional excellence. Dr. Sharpnack is president of the Ohio Board of Nursing.
“We educate students for success. Our small class sizes, exceptional faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and strong partnerships with Cleveland’s top hospitals mean that students learn to be compassionate, competent healers,” Dr. Sharpnack said.
