Campaign urges public to call 9-1-1 – "Don't wait until it's too late"

West Valley Medical Center and the American Heart Association (AHA) have teamed up this heart month to launch an important and life-saving message to the public – “don’t wait until it’s too late – call 9-1-1”.

Recent data pulled from the AHA (2020) shows 9-1-1 calls across the country are down 29 percent, chest pain calls are down 31 percent, and stroke calls are down 20 percent. Similar patterns have been evident in emergency room volume data at West Valley Medical Center during the pandemic.

“The danger of delaying or avoiding care can result in permanent disability or death,” said Dr. Richard Augustus, chief medical officer, West Valley Medical Center. “We understand people may be anxious about visiting healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the fears are unfounded. Rest assured our clinicians, nurses, and staff are committed to protecting our patients, colleagues, and all who come to our hospital and that West Valley is among the safest possible places to receive care at this time.”

“We encourage everyone facing a medical emergency to seek help quickly. If something’s not right, you should pay attention to the warning signs of heart attack and stroke and seek emergency care immediately,” said Laura Western, Executive Director, American Heart Association Idaho Division.

For more on how heart attack symptoms can present differently in men and women and lifestyle changes you can make now to prevent heart risks, check out the latest West Valley Wellness blog update.