Cary Medical Center, a 63-bed hospital in rural Caribou, Maine, created the Siruno Stroke Prevention Program to help community members develop and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. This program offers free blood pressure screenings and education on nutrition, diabetes prevention and smoking cessation; encourages regular physical activity; and leads other wellness programs aimed to reduce the risk of stroke.

As part of the Siruno Stroke Prevention Program, a team member leads a series of virtual classes called Eat Mediterranean — A Healthy Choice. These classes provide cooking demonstrations and share information and recipes about the Mediterranean diet, a healthy eating plan that research studies have linked to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.

The stroke prevention program also encourages community members to engage in physical activity for 150 minutes each week, as recommended by the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations. Each year, Cary Medical Center leads a variety of physical activities, one of which is the 100 Miles in 100 Days Fitness Challenge that encourages people to incorporate a daily walk into their lifestyle. The hospital sends health tips and motivating messages to participants, who are entered into a drawing for gift cards if they report their miles and meet the challenge.

In addition, the program offers free blood pressure screenings to businesses and the general public and distributes blood pressure education packets.

The Siruno Stroke Prevention Program was established by the family of the late Cesar Siruno, M.D., a beloved general surgeon at Cary Medical Center who championed health prevention and promotion.

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