Hypertension Initiative conducts health screenings
The Hypertension Initiative of South Carolina, a member of the Prevention Center of the MUSC Cardiovascular Institute, conducted a health screening for employees at Koyo Corporation on Jan. 22 and 24.Koyo has 36 ball-bearing plants worldwide, and Orangeburg and Blythewood, the only sites in the United States.
Heisman
Trophy winner George Rogers visits with employees from a Koyo plant.
The objective was to increase awareness and ultimately treatment and
control of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes among the 775
employees at Koyo.
Approximately 90 percent of all Koyo employees participated in the
cardiovascular health screen. Brent Egan, M.D., professor, Department of
Pharmacology, and Dan Lackland, Dr.P.H., professor, Department of Biometry
and Epidemiology, and other health professionals from MUSC were on site
to provide immediate feedback to each employee on his/her risk factor levels.
Every participant received a health tip packet and a list of available primary care physicians in the area that were accepting new patients if they did not already have a doctor.
The outstanding turnout was facilitated by the organizational efforts of Melanie Giese, executive director of the Hypertension Initiative. The level of enthusiasm at each plant was heightened by the well-timed appearance of Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers at both the Blythewood and Orangeburg plants. Rogers has served as a spokesman for the initiative on several occasions and once again supported the effort by touring the plants, signing autographs and encouraging employees to know their risk factor numbers.
The Hypertension Initiative’s next step is to assess each employee’s relative risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years using the Framingham Heart Study cardiovascular risk model.
This information will be given directly to the employees within in the next two weeks. After a follow- up meeting with management at Koyo Corporation, we anticipate initiating an on-site program such as a “Lunch and Learn” educational series that will address cardiovascular risk factors.
A second health screen will be performed in 12 months to assess the
impact of efforts to raise awareness and to reduce risk among employees
of the Koyo Corporation.