LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — For the past 10 years, Lima Memorial Health System and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have teamed up to share the latest advancements in heart care across the region and the state.
The annual Lima Heart Summit, hosted by Lima Memorial in collaboration with OSU, brings together doctors, nurses and health care professionals to discuss cutting-edge treatments and emerging strategies in cardiovascular care.
“We have moved forward with so many therapies, medications, different surgeries, et cetera. And if we know that we can have some kind of a solution, we can get you to the right place. Sometimes that's here. We have a great affiliation with OSU, and able to get you down there quickly," says Dr. Pamela Gardner, Cardiologist, Lima Memorial Health System.
Topics covered during this year’s summit included sleep apnea, cardio-oncology, management strategies and emerging treatments. Organizers say sharing knowledge between institutions helps improve patient outcomes throughout the region.
“Because really, we can give this cutting edge technology and improvement and make the patient improve in his quality of life and prevent from cardiac disease and outcome, but we need to have this whole circle of communication, and the group and my colleagues, like Dr. Gardner and her colleagues, they are really important part of taking care of patients and that would make a difference here," says Dr. Mahmoud Houmsse, Cardiac Physiologist & Professor of Cardiovascular medicine , OSU Wexner Medical Center.
While advances in treatment remain a key focus, medical experts say prevention is an even greater priority, particularly as sedentary lifestyles become more common among young people.
“We see obesity and inactivity in teenagers. We see the impact of this technology, unfortunately, negatively on our activity. Forced to educate our public about exercise, losing weight, take care of yourself, prevent the medicine. Try to avoid drinking alcohol, be on optimal diet. Eat fruit and vegetable and exercise every day, which make a big difference,” says Dr. Houmsse.
The Lima Heart Summit is held each February in recognition of American Heart Month.
