Date Change: Sept. 21 at Exit 40 Farmers’ Market in Haymarket to promote heart health education

Novant Health UVA Health System will host a rescheduled Heart Healthy event during the Exit 40 Farmers’ Market at the hospital in Haymarket on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 3 to 6 p.m. in support of saving 10,000 hearts. The health system is on a mission to educate 10,000 locals about their heart health by 2018.

The mission has been sparked by the fact that 3 out of 4 U.S. adults have a heart age that is older than their actual age, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“Our goals for this campaign and event are to promote understanding of why heart health matters, to help our community members be aware of risk factors that affect their heart and to encourage them to take action to protect their heart,” Don Sedgley, President of Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center was quoted as saying in a news release.

The Heart Healthy Exit 40 Farmers’ Market event at Haymarket Medical Center will feature Heart Healthy Live Cooking Demonstration at 3 p.m. with local chef Aaron Lynch from Hidden Julles Café; and a Facebook LIVE presentation from 4 to 5 p.m

During the three-hour event, visitors to the farmers market can get free health screenings. They can also ask the “Heart Experts” at a booth manned by Novant Health UVA Health System providers.

In addition there will be giveaways and promotional specials offered by market vendors, according to Susan Tulino, Novant UVA Health System spokesman.

Novant Health is encouraging the community to take the 10,000 Healthy Hearts Challenge by completing the online heart disease risk assessment that analyzes cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes and body mass index, and then tagging five friends on social media using #NHHealthyHearts to spread the word.

Elizabeth Melson, Exit 40 Farmers’ Market manager and founder of Farm-to-Table Solutions, was quoted as saying in the news release,  “Our partnership with Haymarket Medical Center provides market patrons access to local, healthy food and resources, giving residents and small businesses a venue to connect and enrich their lives through product sourcing from local and regional community farmers.”

The Exit 40 Farmers’ Market is located on the campus of Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center, just off of the intersection of Routes 15 and 66 at Exit 40 at 15225 Heathcote Boulevard, Haymarket, VA 20169