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History of the OrganizationOur group was founded in December 1995 by Ed Ehlers, an Ornish-retreat participant with heart disease. In response to a tiny write-up inconspicuously buried inside the local Rochester newspaper, some 50 people who had seen Dean Ornish's book and were interested in following the Ornish program braved the winter weather. Some 100 attended the second meeting. Ed rapidly organized the group and arranged for speakers on nutrition, exercise, and stress management techniques such as yoga. All were well received, and attendance grew rapidly. By March 1996, it was necessary to institute annual dues in order to cover the costs of duplicating and mailing a monthly newsletter, as well as to provide for rental of a larger meeting room and audiovisual equipment. A steering committee was organized to help plan for future meetings, pot luck dinners, restaurant get-togethers, and to handle the growing number of memberships and associated paperwork. A mission statement was developed which included working with local medical professionals to encourage patients to attend our meetings, working with local restaurants to offer menus that would meet the Ornish guidelines, exchanging recipes and low fat cooking techniques, meeting in small groups to support each other's efforts, and branching out to present talks to other organizations such as senior citizen groups, church groups, etc. In September 1997, the group moved its meeting location from the limited facilities at Brighton Town Hall to the newly renovated facilities at Monroe Community Hospital. This facility has ample space, free parking, and the support of the Center for Lifetime Wellness. Heartbeats for Life! is not officially associated with the Preventive Medicine Research Institute (PMRI) founded by Dr. Dean Ornish. Dr. Ornish has spoken to members of our group and has been enthusiastic about our efforts. Rochester is not presently one of the 8 national Ornish program sites, but we are looking into the feasibility of setting up such a program in Rochester. Heartbeats for Life! donates a modest fraction of dues to aid PMRI in its research into prevention of heart disease and certain types of cancer through dietary and other lifestyle modifications. While Heartbeats for Life!'s ability to contribute as an organization is limited, we feel that such support from the private sector is badly needed. Governmental funding for medical research has become more limited, and industrial support often depends on research associated with a product that has the potential to return a profit. Once regarded as "alternative" medicine, the subject of PMRI's research is now regarded by many medical professionals as "mainstream", and promises to make major contributions to quality of life for large numbers of people. Our steering committee meets monthly and consists of a dedicated core of people who volunteer their time to organize meetings and other events, publish the newsletter, and manage the group's library, membership, finances, and publicity. It includes professionals from a variety of disciplines such as physicians, registered nurses, a registered dietician and Ornish Retreat faculty member, cardiac rehabilitation specialist, yoga instructor, and an exercise specialist. |
Heartbeats for Life
Support for your healthy life style.
