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Dear MRC Leaders, Volunteers,
and Colleagues,As we approach the month of February, many people
are thinking about how they are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day. While we recognize that it is important to love
from the heart, it’s just as important that we take care of our actual hearts. February is Heart Month, and we encourage
you to find ways that you, your unit, and community partners can come together in support of the Million Hearts™
campaign, a new national public-private initiative that is dedicated to preventing one million heart attacks and
strokes in this country over the next five years. Heart disease causes one
of every three American deaths and constitutes 17 percent of overall national health spending, but the risks can be greatly
decreased by practicing healthy lifestyles, having access to early and affordable screening and treatment, as well as being
involved in healthy communities. As promoters of public health, MRC units can get involved with the Million Hearts™
campaign in many ways, including:· Providing blood pressure screenings in your local community; · Offering educational
materials about heart disease, and providing referrals to health departments and low -cost medical centers for primary care; ·
Ongoing participation with the Let’s Move! campaign and Healthy Cities and Towns—with
the aim of reducing obesity and increasing healthy behaviors; · Encouraging participation in local smoking cessation
programs; ·
Disseminating Million Hearts™ information during volunteer meetings to encourage
participation in heart-healthy activities; · Promoting the Million Hearts™
website and encouraging individual pledges In addition to the efforts you can make as a
unit and community, each individual leader, volunteer, and partner can pledge your commitment to prevent heart disease and
stroke in your family, get active and stay strong by eating healthy, and take control of your heart health by following your
doctor’s instructions for medications and treatment. To make this pledge, review the attached instructions, and visit
the Million Hearts™ website (http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/index.shtml) to learn more and gain valuable resources. And please share
your unit’s Million Hearts™ unit with us—post them to your profile and be
sure to include in your activity report—we want to hear how your unit is making a difference in preventing heart disease
and stroke. We also encourage your units to utilize the attached press release about Million Hearts™
ant the MRC for your local media outlets.Volunteering
is to give of yourself – your time, your skills, and your heart. The dedication and passion of those in the Medical
Reserve Corps is improving lives in countless ways. As we celebrate 10 years of public health promotion, community preparedness,
response, and resiliency, we also recognize and appreciate the love you pour out to your families, neighbors, and communities.
Thank you for all you give from the heart.RobRobert J. Tosatto, RPh, MPH, MBA
CAPT, USPHS
Director,
Division of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps
Office of the Surgeon General
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