February 21, 2024
Heart Month with Texas Mutual, Texicare CEOs and healthy tips
Texicare President & CEO Meredith Duncan (left) and Texas Mutual President & CEO Jeanette Ward (right)
At Texas Mutual, we know that employee safety and wellness go hand-in-hand, which is why we’re committed to building stronger, safer and healthier communities. During the month February, we join our longstanding partner, the American Heart Association (AHA), in recognizing American Heart Month. As the number one cause of death in the country, heart disease is an important concern when it comes to health and wellness. According to the AHA, cardiovascular disease accounted for over 900,000 deaths in the United States in 2020.
We share in the AHA’s mission of building heart healthy communities. Recently, our very own President and CEO Jeanette Ward and Texicare (our health subsidiary) President and CEO Meredith Duncan attended the Go Red for Women Luncheon and we asked their views on the importance of AHA’s life-changing work and healthy living.
What about the AHA’s mission resonates with you?
Meredith and Jeanette with Jennie Garth at the Go Red for Women Luncheon
Jeanette: My maternal grandfather died of a heart attack in his sleep when I was in elementary school. The suddenness of it and the pain that sudden loss caused my mother and the rest of the family really stuck with me. I support the work of the AHA because I want families to have as much time together as they possibly can, and working to make improvements to how we can detect and prevent heart attack and stroke will help make that a reality for millions of families.
Meredith: Sadly, my mother-in-law passed on Christmas Eve two years ago of undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. Women are too often not aware of the early symptoms of heart disease, nor realize that it can go undetected.
Like Jeanette and Meredith, heart health has affected many of us personally. Whether you started the new year with a refreshed commitment to health or are maintaining your healthy lifestyle, we’re sharing important tips for a healthier heart below.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle. According to the AHA, heart disease is preventable in most cases when people find a way to make healthy habits stick. This includes avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, conducting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and getting regular health checkups.
Learn the signs. Heart attacks, cardiac arrest and strokes are life-threatening emergencies, so every second counts. Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience any of the warning signs or notice them in others. You could save the life of your friend, family member or co-worker.
Get to know your company’s emergency resources. Since many people spend at least 40 hours per week at a job, it’s possible you could experience or witness a health emergency at work. Take this opportunity to review your company’s emergency response program so that you understand what resources are available at your workplace, who’s trained in first aid and who you should notify in the event of an emergency.
For 100 years and counting, the AHA has been on a mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives and we’re proud to offer our support in furthering their important efforts. We encourage all employers to create a company wellness program and help promote health and wellness in the workplace.