Since 2004, the Go Red for Women movement has aimed to educate millions of women as to their top health threat, which is cardiovascular disease.
That movement will continue this year with the Permian Basin’s Go Red for Women luncheon which will take place at 11 a.m. May 4 at the Odessa Marriott and Conference Center.
This year, the American Heart Association has pegged regional Dean for the Physician Assistant Program for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Christina Robohm as the community volunteer chair of the Permian Basin Go Red for Women movement.
“I was invited to be the chair of the committee this year for the event and the fundraising and it’s an exciting opportunity for me because the American Heart Association is one of those passions for me because with Go Red it’s to help improve the health and well-being of women and that is one of my passions in life and I want to make sure that I had an opportunity that I can serve with them this year.”
Go Red for Women is a worldwide initiative of the American Heart Association designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women locally, nationally and globally.
“I’m quite honored to be a part of it,” Robohm said. “This committee of women has done tireless work to promote the American heart association and we want the message to get out to women that heart disease is one of the biggest killers of women and we need to do what we can to help women understand that with some lifestyle and small changes every day, they can decrease their risk of heart disease. The event on Wednesday is an exciting time because we’re raising awareness for heart disease across the community and discussing a lot of survivor stories so that we can help get that message across to women in the Permian basin.”
Robohm said Wednesday’s luncheon will feature stories from six different survivors.
Keynote speaker will be Dr. Lori Rice-Spearman who is the president of Texas Tech Health Science and is a native Odessan.
“She’s excited to come back and speak,” Robohm said. “She has some experience with heart disease in her family that she wants to share.”
This year’s theme for the Permian Basin’s Go Red for Women campaign is to Reclaim Your Rhythm.
“That is looking for women to understand that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women and less than half of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat,” Robohm said. “This is to help women think about that and help make life changes and help reduce their risk factors.”
Robohm said the biggest risk factors are things that can be managed every day.
“It’s things like high blood pressure, diet, and exercise, diabetes and overweight,” Robohm said. “Things that we can make changes every day.”
Robohm talked about a personal story involving her grandmother who despite having a heart attack at the age of 69, went on to live to be 106.
“After her cardiac rehab, she went on to do all the things that we’re talking about and she exercised and dieted,” Robohm said. “Her heart attack wasn’t the end of her story. That’s what we want to encourage other women to do. We want them to take care of themselves so that they can take care of their families and loved ones for a long life.”
