Each February, AdventHealth recognizes American Heart Month by highlighting stories that demonstrate the ways teams are advancing cardiovascular health. In Central Florida, AdventHealth collaborated with Second Harvest Food Bank to pilot a program to provide medically tailored meals for patients to help them with prevention and recovery. Since its start, over 7000 meals have been delivered to seniors recovering from cardiac events, and 95% of participants have avoided hospital readmission during recovery. 

AdventHealth Central Florida also has a Transplant Institute, which saved the life of Will Vogelman, a Central Florida patient who spent four months in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and whose life was saved through a rare heart-after-liver transplant (HALT). Following the procedure, he began regaining mobility, spending meaningful time with his family and continuing his recovery journey, all without leaving Central Florida for care. 

Meanwhile, AdventHealth Manchester recently hosted its “Bloom Your Heart Health” event. The event brought participants together for an afternoon of heart‑healthy education paired with a floral design class, blending wellness with creativity. Attendees learned simple, meaningful ways to care for their hearts while creating their own flower arrangements.

Why We Did It

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease remains the most significant health challenge, with 48.6% of adults affected in the United States, making awareness, prevention and access to cardiovascular care important. By sharing these stories, AdventHealth shows how prevention, innovation, education and compassionate recovery are essential to strengthen heart health across AdventHealth communities and are relevant to individuals at any stage of life.