On Saturday, May 4, 2019, nearly 450 community members showed off their heart and passion for cardiac care in Scarborough by taking part in the annual Walk with Heart hosted by the Regional Cardiovascular Rehab program with the support of SHN Foundation. Through the generosity from our community, current and former patients, family members, friends and staff, this year’s Walk with Heart raised more than $65,000 for cardiac care.
Among the supporters was Dr. Kibar Yared, Director of Cardiac Imaging at SHN, who himself raised more than $3,000 for the cause.
“This was my first Cardiac Walk, and it was incredible to see all of the people turning out in support of health care in this community – particularly my own patients, who showed up in droves to not only support the hospitals but to show their support for my fundraising specifically,” shared Dr. Yared. “As a part of the cardiac program for more than ten years now, I felt this event was an important opportunity to demonstrate to my colleagues and patients, and the Scarborough community, that exceptional cardiac care is valued at SHN, and a vital part of our future.”
Funds raised through this year’s Walk with Heart will help to enhance cardiac care services, including the Regional Cardiovascular Rehab program which is the largest regional, community-based cardiovascular rehab service in North America. The program helps to improve quality of life for cardiovascular patients through supervised exercise, education and guided lifestyle change. The regional service is available throughout Scarborough, Durham and beyond, at hospital and community sites, providing service closer to where patients live and work.
Though supporting just one of several areas of excellence at SHN, Dr. Yared sees the Walk with Heart as a step in the right direction to ensure SHN has what it needs to shape the future of care for Scarborough: “To move our hospitals forward, we need a unified voice, so we can demonstrate to the community that we support them, but we also need their support back. We need to showcase what makes us great – our staff and physicians, our expertise, our patient experience – and encourage the community to continue giving back so we can access resources and infrastructure that allows us to push the envelope even further. And as a physician, we can help lead the way.”
The staff and volunteers of the Regional Cardiovascular Rehab program would like to thank Dr. Kibar Yared, Dr. Joseph Ricci, Dr. Ted Davies, Dr. Ashok Mukherjee and June Thomas, RN for the critical part they played in the success of this year’s Walk with Heart.