Sister to Sister

In its eighth year, Sister to Sister’s Heart Screening and Education Events were held in the House of Representatives on December 7, 2010, and in the Senate on February 14, 2011.  Close to 300 legislators and staff members learned their personal risk for heart disease, and the steps that can be taken to prevent it.

The Congressional event was sponsored by Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Lois Capps (D-CA), sponsor of the HEART for Women Act. 

Sister to Sister was proud to receive very generous support from Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (D-AK) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), both co-sponsors of the HEART for Women Act.

All screenings and counseling sessions were sponsored by George Washington University Hospital, Sister to Sister's exclusive hospital partner on Capitol Hill.  The tests included total and HDL ("good") cholesterol, blood glucose, BMI, Waist Circumference and blood pressure.  Immediate results were provided, as well as individual counseling sessions for those at-risk.   

In addition to the screenings, Sister to Sister provides education with an emphasis on heart disease prevention, recognizing heart attack signs and symptoms for women, understanding your personal risk  for heart disease and how to reduce it through healthy lifestyle choices.

Distinguished speakers for the events included:

• Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton discussed why she supports STS, and the signs of a heart attack in women they may not be aware of.
• Alex Sheff, Legislative Aide for Senator Deborah Stabenow, discussed why heart disease education, prevention and treatment must be personalized for women and why this issue is so important for the Senator.
• Dr. Shawn Howell, Cardiologist from George Washington University Hospital shared her clinical perspective, definitions of cardiovascular disease, how the disease differs for women, and steps to take to protect oneself.
•  Frank Bailey, Director of Health, Education and Outreach for AARP spoke of the importance of partnering with STS to increase education that heart disease in women may be preventable with healthy lifestyle changes.
• Miss Stephanie Williams, the reigning Miss District of Columbia and GWU medical student, shared her vision on the importance of disease prevention.
• Barbara Teng, heart attack survivor and Sister to Sister spokeswoman, told her chilling story of surviving triple bypass surgery, how her appearance of being healthy led her to think that CVD would never happen to her, and the importance of understanding family health history.

Other services included free stress-reducing neck massages, reiki and nutrition consultations were offered by The Center for Integrative Medicine and personal fitness demonstrations by Results Gym in Capitol Hill. 

Sister to Sister would like to acknowledge its sponsors for their generous support: AARP, CVS Caremark, TheGreenNut, AstraZeneca, Clark Construction and Cabot Cheese . 

And a special "Thank You" to George Washington University Hospital for making the screenings and counseling possible.  We would also like to acknowledge the Office on Education and Training for hosting Sister to Sister in the Senate.  .

Sister to Sister will be returning to Capitol Hill late 2012.  If you are interested in learning how you can participate in these events, please contact Lisa Townsend via email.

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