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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY AS AMERICAN HEART MONTH IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the month of February is recognized as American Heart Month; and
WHEREAS, the annual celebration began in 1963 to encourage Americans to join the battle against heart disease and each year a presidential proclamation pays tribute to researchers, physicians, public health professionals and volunteers for their tireless efforts in preventing, treating, and researching heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States; and
WHEREAS, heart disease (including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke) remains the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. and cardiovascular diseases claim more lives each year than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths; and
WHEREAS, heart disease and stroke continue to kill more people in the U.S. than any other cause, despite, and likely even due to, the impact of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic according to data from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and that trend is likely to continue for years to come as the long-term impact of the novel coronavirus will directly affect cardiovascular health, according to the American Heart Association; and
WHEREAS, heart disease is the leading cause of death in Cook County as well, accounting for just under 11,000 deaths per year in 2020 with more than half occurring in suburban Cook County; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the estimated annual incidence of heart attack in the United States is 805,000 new attacks, 605,000 are new attacks and 200,000 are recurrent attacks with Americans suffering a heart attack approximately every 36 seconds; and
WHEREAS, although some progress has been made, it's important to make sure all Americans have access to quality care and as a country we should continue to focus on “Life's Simple 7," which refers to the American Heart Association’s seven goals of eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding excess weight, not smoking, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar within a healthy range; and
WHEREAS, nearly half of all non-Hispanic black adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, 47.7 percent of females and 46.0 percent of males; and
WHEREAS, since the outbreak of COVID-19, there have been even higher mortality rates due to the effect the disease has had on individuals with pre-existing health conditions, primarily those which are cardiovascular-related. The American Heart Association found that the already sizable Black-White life-expectancy gap has now grown to over ten years due to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, by 2035, more than 130 million adults, or 45.1% of the U.S. population, are projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease and total costs of CVD are expected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2035, with direct medical costs projected to reach $748.7 billion and indirect costs estimated to reach $368 billion; and
WHEREAS, hospitals and health systems around the country celebrate American Hearth Month by helping to raise awareness in their communities about heart disease, with staff wearing red and volunteers knitting or crocheting pintsized red hats for newborns, as well as holding free screenings and heart health awareness events; and
WHEREAS, in response to the pandemic, last February the Board of Commissioners approved a resolution creating a virtual “hands only” CPR & AED training as part of the on-boarding process for new employees and which is available to all county employees providing the knowledge needed so we can eliminate one of the barriers to not being able to survive a heart attack; and
WHEREAS, one of the “Bystander Effect” statistics that is especially troubling is that African Americans and Hispanics are 30-50% less likely to have bystander CPR performed if they suffer an incident and compared to white children, bystander CPR was 41% less likely for black kids, 22% less likely for Hispanics and 6% less likely for other ethnic groups; and
WHEREAS, data shows that CPR initiated by a bystander can nearly double the chance of survival from cardiac arrest; and
WHEREAS, this Honorable Body wishes to promote and raise awareness of American Heart Month and heart health in Cook County encourage all Cook County employees to take advantage of the Virtual CPR & AED training available on the County Human Resources Training platform;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the more than 5.2 million residents of Cook County, do hereby take this opportunity to acknowledge American Hearth Month; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body in recognition of American Heart Month.
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