February is a time to celebrate many things—romance and sweets, Carnival season, Black history and much more. February is also American Heart Month and National Wise Health Care Consumer Month, and when improving heart health, it behooves us all to also be wise health care consumers. Research goes a long way to getting you top notch healthcare and connecting you to the many resources that help improve wellness. From knowing your risk of heart disease to finding out what lifestyle changes could keep your ticker tocking longer, heart health information is widely available online and from local healthcare providers. Do your due diligence this month, and find out what screenings, treatments, and therapies may benefit your heart and keep you celebrating all that February—and every month—brings.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is devoted to its mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Now more than ever, it’s important to stay on top of your health care, especially if you’re over 60 or have a long-term condition like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.
Plan your annual wellness visit for the New Year now. This checkup is a great opportunity to talk to your primary care provider about any health concerns you have, including any questions you have about the COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Make an appointment today for your 2022 annual wellness visit—and make sure your children have an annual checkup, too.
For more on keeping up with care, visit bcbsla.com/keepupwithcare. Follow on social media (@BCBSLA) for health and wellness tips all year long.
Offices are located at 3501 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 600, Metairie, LA 70002 and 1340 Poydras St., Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Thibodaux Regional Heart & Vascular Center
Thibodaux Regional’s Heart & Vascular Center, located in Lafourche Parish, provides comprehensive cardiovascular care, including education, prevention and screening programs, a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab, heart and vascular surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, home health, and WellFit Cardiovascular Care. Combining expertise and the best cardiovascular imaging equipment in the region, the heart team at Thibodaux Regional provides the best possible care in the fight against heart disease and other cardiovascular ailments.
Thibodaux Regional is one of only two hospitals in Louisiana to be named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health for high performance in delivering the best quality and most efficient cost-effective heart and vascular care. Call 985-493-4326 for more information, or visit thibodaux.com.
The Blood Center
Find out if you’ve had an immune response to COVID-19 with The Blood Center (TBC). This free service informs blood donors if they carry the COVID-19 antibodies produced from previous exposure and/or vaccinations. TBC is performing COVID-19 Antibody screenings to find potential candidates for COVID Convalescent Plasma collections when and if needed for transfusion.
Receiving the vaccination, choosing not to, or previous exposure to the COVID-19 virus do not affect blood donations or the patients whose lives are touched every day by blood donors. Potential donors are urged to give as the country battles a critical need for blood, provided they are healthy and meet all other eligibility criteria for blood donations.
Scheduled donations are encouraged to practice social distancing and ensure a safe, stable blood supply. Immune response results post three to five days after a completed blood donation. Following the donation, donors need to visit TheBloodCenter.org and log in to My Account for their results. To schedule your blood donation and help save lives, visit TheBloodCenter.org or call 1-800-86-BLOOD.