The University of Virginia Health System recently launched a new online program, Club Red, designed to educate women about the risk of heart disease.
Women can join the Web site to gain access to nutrition and exercise tips, as well as a message board where they can post their own tips for how to incorporate heart health into their lives, Health System spokesperson Carol Keese said.
"Club Red is a membership program about engaging women in making a commitment to themselves about being heart healthy," Keese said.
Keese noted that other campaigns have attempted to raise women's awareness about heart disease, such as National Wear Red Day, which began four years ago. Club Red is different, however, in that it takes awareness one step further by encouraging women to actively improve their own health, she said.
"Awareness alone does not really change the impact of the disease, what makes that real is changes in behavior," Keese said.
The Web site, LiveRedUVa.com, which was launched Jan. 28, currently has 600 members. Keese said she attributed the quick enrollment to a pre-mailing campaign, in which the University Health System sent direct mailings to 15,000 Albemarle County residents to promote the new program.
Club Red is intended to be a "space about community" Keese said.
In the spirit of community, University Health System will host Club Red community health screenings for the public, the first of which will take place in late March.
Specifically, the screening is aimed at ensuring that women are aware of their "numbers," including blood pressure and cholesterol, said Erin McElwain, strategic marketing liaison for the University Health System.
McElwain added that Club Red is "trying to make it fun" for women to take care of their hearts by offering incentives such as beauty consultations for registered participants.
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