February is most often associated with Valentine’s Day and love; but it is also a great reminder of what we value – family, friends and our health. It is with these values in mind that we celebrate Family Day on Monday, February 20th. A reminder that all Alberta Museums will be open free of charge on Family Day. This includes the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, and closer to home Lougheed House, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. February is also HEART month – in which the Canadian Heart and Stoke Foundation highlight the importance of taking care of our “tickers”. Prior to COVID, heart disease was the leading cause of death in Canada and remains worthy of continued education and vigilance.
As our government continues to work to improve health delivery, each of us can play a role in improving our “heart/health” capacity. One critical component in the Government’s Healthcare Action Plan is improved EMS response times. We are all aware that EMS services can mean life or death when a patient faces a critical health event. Our amazing Paramedics are highly skilled health professionals trained to respond in times of acute crisis. Instead of using ambulances for patients who do not require medical support during transport, AHS will now be arranging alternate transportation. This would utilize options like community shuttles and wheelchair accessible taxis for patients needing non-emergency transport. Improving EMS response times has multiple ripple effects and will help in supporting emergency department efficiency, reducing acute care recovery time, impacting surgical queues and improving overall patient flow. This new program is one of several currently underway focused on better serving Albertans. But Government cannot do it alone, so each of us should do our part in improving “heart health” for ourselves and our loved ones in 2023. Studies have consistently shown that 5 lifestyle changes help improve our hearts. 1. Balanced Diet – pass on the extra salt and ask for the veggies. 2. Reduced alcohol intake – too much can damage your heart’s ability to fight off the extra cholesterol. 3. Exercise – our heart is a muscle and it needs to be worked to be efficient. 4. Managing stress – each of us should ask ourselves what we do to help manage daily stressors. 5. Quit smoking – if you have not stopped, now is a great time. Albertans have huge and compassionate hearts – we already generously share of ourselves, our time and our money – so let’s work in partnership with government and civil society to build our HEART capacity to new levels. Keep your comments and communication coming as the New Session of the Legislature will start just after Family Day – and please watch for community signage and social media for our next MLA Café!
MLA – Calgary Fishcreek Richard Gotfried proudly serves the following Communities: Bonavista Downs, Deer Ridge, Deer Run, Diamond Cove, Lake Bonavista, Midnapore , Parkland, Queensland , Sundance
