2009 National RV tour stops in San Antonio to help prevent blood clots
-Participants receive FREE Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) risk assessment-
(March 30, 2009 - SAN ANTONIO) The Coalition to Prevent DVT’s first-ever nationwide RV tour, Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT, made stops at University Hospital and the Texas Diabetes Institute today to provide free risk assessments and education on the deadly problem of blood clots.
DVT is a national public health crisis, but many healthcare professionals and patients are unaware of the risks. DVT is a blood clot that forms inside a deep vein, most often in the lower leg. Once formed, a blood clot can break off and may cause severe complications, some even fatal. A DVT blood clot has the potential to move into the lungs and block circulation to this vital organ creating a life-threatening condition – pulmonary embolism or PE – that requires immediate medical attention.
Up to 2 million Americans are affected each year by DVT. Approximately 300,000 Americans die each year from pulmonary embolism (PE), the majority of which result from DVT. Complications from DVT kill more Americans than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
“Building awareness through activities like the Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT tour is crucial to improving patient safety. We are proud to represent San Antonio in driving conversations about DVT risk assessment with our patients,” said Maureen Sheehan, M.D., Vascular Surgeon, University Health System/UT Health Science Center San Antonio. “University Health System is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients, which includes initiating discussions about risk as well as improving the quality and care of DVT and PE.”
Since its inception more than six years ago, the Coalition to Prevent DVT has worked to establish DVT as a national health priority through grassroots campaigns and partnerships with public policy leaders. By bringing this national health issue to local communities such as San Antonio, the Coalition hopes to underscore the need for greater risk assessment and proper treatment as DVT-related PE is the most common cause of preventable hospital death in the United States.
“In the last five years, the Coalition has made great strides in raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of DVT on both a national and grassroots level,” said Melanie Bloom, National Patient Spokesperson for the Coalition, whose husband, NBC correspondent David Bloom, died from complications of DVT while covering the war in Iraq. “This year, it is time to harness that awareness and turn it into action by encouraging people to assess their risks of developing DVT.”
The Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT tour features interactive patient activities, including assessment kiosks that provide personalized information on risks. At the event, visitors will receive educational brochures and a DVT Awareness Month pin featuring the new Coalition logo and DVT icon.
The Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT tour also includes a recently launched public service announcement featuring Melanie Bloom as well as downloadable risk assessment tools, all of which are accessible at www.preventdvt.org.
For more information about the Coalition to Prevent DVT, please visit www.preventdvt.org. The Coalition includes more than 60 members from medical societies, patient advocacy groups and other public health organizations. The mission of the Coalition to Prevent DVT is to reduce the immediate and long-term dangers of DVT and PE, which together make up one of the nation's leading causes of death.
About Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT
By going “on the road” the Coalition will drive the importance of patient safety, increased DVT awareness and proper patient screening. The RV tour will enhance the grassroots program – bringing greater DVT education, awareness and screening to local markets across the nation. Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT tour will travel coast-to-coast starting in March to draw national and local attention to this under-recognized yet preventable condition. The local market campaign stops include: Washington, D.C., New York City, Bridgewater, NJ, Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, Atlanta GA, Orlando, FL, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Denver, CO, Kansas City, KS, Minneapolis, MN, Columbus, OH, Pittsburgh, PA.
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