Bonnie Bowes, Vice-President; Clinical and Quality and Chief Nursing Officer, has spent the last 25 years of her nursing career at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
by Toni Lavigne-Conway
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As we continue to shine a spotlight on cardiovascular health during Heart Month, this edition focuses on prevention and the life-saving difference early detection can make when it comes to heart disease.
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), Canada’s world-class leader in cardiac care, innovation and research, is preparing to launch an ambitious new initiative: One Million Hearts, a program designed to screen one million Canadians for heart disease.
UOHI Vice-President of Clinical and Quality and Chief Nursing Officer Bonnie Bowes has spent most of her nursing career at the Heart Institute, the past six years in her current role. Her 25-year tenure represents half the lifetime of the Institute itself, which this year celebrates 50 years since opening its doors.
As this year’s Heart Month ambassador, Ms. Bowes shared insight into the innovative initiative giving credit to the broader community for inspiring the program’s creation.
“We’ve had a small primary cardiac prevention program in the past that focused on niche populations at higher risk,” she explained. “But we always believed we could do broader primary prevention by screening people who have no known heart disease to identify their risk factors, so we can catch issues early and put measures in place to mitigate those risks.”
The idea gained momentum during the Institute’s most recent strategic planning process.
“We held focus groups that included patients, clinicians from here and elsewhere, and members of the broader community and region. When we started talking about our priorities, this issue of prevention kept bubbling to the top,” she said. “People told us, ‘We’re really good at treating heart disease – but why not prevent it?’”
From there, the vision grew.
“This year is a milestone celebration for the Heart Institute, so we set a bold goal to screen one million Canadians,” Ms. Bowes said. “And we may not stop there.”
The overall goal of the program she said is to “conduct mass screening for risk factors associated with heart disease, leading to early detection, early treatment (if needed), and ultimately preventing the progression to heart disease.”
Initially, Ms. Bowes said they launched a pilot program, screening 600 people, resulting in approximately 30 % of the group identified with risk factors, risks they were hoping to help mitigate with education and intervention. Based on that and their extensive knowledge and research, the Heart Institute is expecting the program to make a significant impact on prevention of heart disease.
To ensure the program reaches as many Canadians as possible, UOHI is turning to community and health-care partners across the country. Building on its successful partnership models for programs such as smoking cessation and cardiac rehabilitation, the Institute plans to expand screening capacity beyond its own walls.
“We are partnering with other hospitals and clinical settings so we can train them to conduct the screening in their own environments,” Ms. Bowes said. “That will allow us to significantly increase the number of people we can reach.”
The overall goal of the program she said is to “conduct mass screening for risk factors associated with heart disease, leading to early detection, early treatment (if needed), and ultimately preventing the progression to heart disease.”
By bringing the screening program directly into local communities, Ms. Bowes believes the Heart Institute can help close important gaps in the early detection of heart disease.
“I think there are many people who either don’t have a primary care provider or family physician , or they simply don’t see one regularly,” she said. “That’s especially true for younger people who generally feel healthy and assume there’s nothing to worry about. But many of these risk factors are silent and can lead to serious problems.”
Conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure often present no symptoms, she explained.
“You may not feel anything at all. But if those issues go undetected or untreated for too long, they can lead to heart disease and other problems. Those are the kinds of risks we’re hoping to identify through screening.”
How the Program Works
The criteria for participation are broad, opening the program to adults 18 years of age and older with no known history of heart disease.
At the screening site, participants can expect:
- A clinician will take blood pressure, measure height and weight, and assess waist circumference. “We actually know that waist circumference directly correlates to cardiac disease,” Ms. Bowes explained.
- Completion of a comprehensive health history questionnaire designed to identify risk factors such as family history, sleep patterns, anxiety and diet.
- Blood sugar and cholesterol levels are measured with a simple finger prick, keeping the process quick and comfortable for the person. “Both pre-diabetes and diabetes, as well as high cholesterol, increase the risk of developing heart disease,” she noted.
These results are then combined with the questionnaire and calculated using an evidence-based tool known as the Framingham Risk Score, which determines overall cardiovascular risk as well as the “age” of a person’s heart.
“From there, we provide education and information to help people decrease any risks that may have been identified. The good news is that some risks, even your heart age, can be changed for the better,” said Ms. Bowes.
In some cases, she said that screening may uncover issues that require immediate treatment, and the team will begin the referral process to ensure appropriate follow-up care.
“Overall, we want people to go home with knowledge of their risks, along with advice and education on how they can modify factors to reduce that risk – and hopefully prevent heart disease altogether.”
Good News for the Local Community
As a summer resident in the area and current Board Member for St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Ms. Bowes appreciates the unique needs of our small community, and how important it is to bring programs and services to rural areas to maximize participation in programs like this. She is pleased to confirm partnership with SFMH that screening will take place in July.
“We expect to be able to screen about 50 people that day, with pre-registration opening closer to the date,” she said. If interest exceeds capacity, the team will consider adding another screening day to accommodate demand.
Suzanne Madore, CEO for both the St. Francis Memorial and Renfrew Victoria Hospitals, says she is very pleased to partner with the Heart Institute to participate in the One Million Hearts initiative. “Preventing heart disease begins with awareness, early detection, and access to reliable screening, and this program brings all three directly into our communities.” She confirmed that along with the Wednesday July 15th screening date in Barry’s Bay, RVH will hold its mobile screening clinic on Tuesday June 30th. *More information will be forthcoming regarding pre-registration closer to the clinics.
Impact of the Program
As Heart Month reminds us to reflect on the importance of cardiovascular health, initiatives like One Million Hearts demonstrate that prevention may be the most powerful medicine of all. It is hoped that by identifying risks early and empowering Canadians with knowledge and support, programs like this will have the potential to save lives, strengthen families, and build healthier communities.
And with this screening soon available locally, residents will have a valuable opportunity to learn more about their heart health in a simple and supportive setting.
For more information/education on heart disease, risks and prevention, Ms. Bowes invites everyone to visit their website www.ottawaheart.ca where they can subscribe to the Heart Institute’s regular newsletter, The Beat.
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