More than 600 women gathered at Little Caesar’s Arena for the annual Go Red for Women luncheon in support of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) campaign to fight heart disease. This year’s luncheon event was co-chaired by Paula Silver, vice president of Corporate Communications for DTE Energy, and Deborah Greenman, assistant general counsel, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
The luncheon is the annual cornerstone event for the Detroit Go Red for Women Movement. The event focuses on preventing heart disease and stroke by promoting healthy lifestyles, building awareness and raising critically-needed funds to support research and education initiatives.
This year’s keynote, delivered by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. opened with acknowledging the AHA and all the women attending the luncheon. “Red is a fierce color and heart disease is a fierce competitor.”
In her address, Gov. Whitmer addressed statistics and initiatives her office is focusing on including heart disease being the leading cause of death for women, her recent plan for reducing prescription and prenatal care costs along with addressing the disparity in health care of women of color.
“We must recognize that there are disparities in health care for women of color in Michigan. Right now, black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. We must tackle this and recognize this.”
She adds, “They are more likely to suffer from heart disease in general. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in black women in their thirties; more than half of the black women in America have heart disease currently and there are a lot of reasons for that but the one we can tackle is the disparity outcomes for women of color who are not treated for implicit bias.”
Gov. Whitmer has reached out to women in leadership across the state to tackle this issue starting with Dr. Audrey Gregory, Ph.D., R.N. the newly appointed CEO of the Detroit Medical Center.
Detroit Go Red for Women encourages women to take charge of their heart. Go Red for Women across Metro Detroit has raised more than $50 million dollars for research and education initiatives. Through its HAVE FAITH IN HEART and Go Red Goes STEM program, the AHA is working with underserved communities to improve health and opportunities for all women.
For more information on Go Red For Women visit www.GoRedForWomen.org
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