Contributing to more than one-third of all deaths in the United States, heart disease remains our country’s leading killer.  But despite a greater emphasis on prevention and education, many people know very little about the disease. 

To educate people about heart disease and its risk factors, Family Centers held a special dinner on Feb. 13 featuring renowned heart surgeon and best-selling author Dr. Mehmet Oz.  Dr. Oz – who is the Director of the Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and a frequent guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show – spoke at length about the importance of maintaining heart health.  He also addressed the relationship between diet and heart disease when talking about his new book, You: On a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management. 

Held at the Darien home of Family Centers’ Board Chairman Jan Dilenschneider, the dinner commemorated American Heart Month and raised awareness for Hearts of Hope – Family Centers’ new heart disease counseling and wellness program.  The event also kicked off the Center for HOPE’s (also a program of Family Centers) year-long 25^th anniversary celebration.        

Hearts of Hope is Family Centers’ new program offering individual counseling, family/caregivers counseling and support groups to help cardiac patients and their families cope with the psychological issues associated with the disease.  Groups are regularly held at the Center for HOPE in Darien and Stamford Hospital.  Hearts of Hope also offers educational programs throughout the community. 

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 1,000 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.