( ENSPIRE She Did That ) A Heart-to-Heart With Florence Champagne, Heart Health Advocate, and Open My Heart Foundation CEO
ENSPIRE Contributor: Grace Chai
It’s February, and images of hearts are everywhere, from the aisles of your local retailers to YouTube ads for gourmet chocolate. But what most people don’t think about is that February is also American Heart Month, a month to raise awareness about heart health. In light of this important public health issue, I spoke with heart health advocate Florence Champagne about her foundation and her journey with heart disease.
Champagne is the CEO of Open My Heart Foundation, which aims to help eliminate heart health disparities among African-American women and women of color. She founded Open My Heart after her experience with heart disease in 2012. Before 2012, Champagne had experienced pain, shortness of breath, and various symptoms for almost a year and visited the emergency room (ER) several times. Every time, she was sent home and told that she was young and that her issues were not heart-related. Her last ER visit resulted in more trivialization of her problems.
“This would happen so many times that the last time I went, they told me to seek counseling, as if the pain was all in my head,” Champagne said. “So I didn’t want to go back to the doctors, I didn’t want to go back to the ER.”
She collapsed on the floor of a public building in 2012 and had to have emergency open-heart surgery. When she was admitted, the doctors found out that her main artery was 99.9% blocked and required immediate surgery. Even so, she had a 50% chance of survival.
After surgery, the cardiologist told Champagne that because she lacked insurance at the time of her previous ER visits, she didn’t receive the proper diagnostic tests. She only learned about her hereditary predisposition to heart disease and stress factors later, which all contributed to her near-fatal heart attack. Seeing the injustice in the situation, Champagne—a social worker by profession—decided to fight for heart disease awareness.
“I always like to use the phrase, ‘God gave me purpose through my pain,’” she said. “And I…would hear similar stories of women and African American women not being listened to. And I didn’t know that insurance plays a factor in how you’re treated.”
“I felt the disparities and inequities in treatment,” she said. “And somebody needed to hear that.”
She added that the cardiologist who was willing to take her on as a patient had advocated for her even though she was uninsured, leading her to believe that “you really need someone fighting for you.” Champagne wanted to advocate for others, but she didn’t know how. At that point, she hadn’t even considered starting a foundation.
That changed when an organization called Women Heart, which focuses on advocating for women with heart disease to become more aware of their symptoms, approached her. She attended training at the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, became a facilitator of support groups, and did speaking engagements. However, she still felt that an important voice was missing, and she knew that other women needed to know they weren’t alone in their fight against heart disease.
“I felt as though the African-American woman’s voice wasn’t being heard,” Champagne said. “And I wanted to start my own foundation because to say, you know, hey, we’re here for you. We want to help eliminate any heart health disparities among African-American women and women of color.”
She began to look for ways to support women in those communities, especially in areas where she previously lacked support, such as accessible, timely diagnostic testing.
“Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States,” she said. “And I thought about it. And I said, if heart disease is the number one killer, why aren’t we being screened for this? Why don’t we receive the diagnostic testing [regularly], like [annually] when we do our yearly checkups, right?”
She gave the example of breast cancer screenings, which are covered by most health insurers. “But it’s not that type of attention given to heart disease,” Champagne said. “So I am…through the Open My Heart Foundation, fighting for legislation to be passed. That in the state of Maryland…where I live…annual cardiac screenings be a standard part of routine annual exams.”
Champagne did not know that she needed a cardiac screening until her heart attack in 2012, so when she speaks at conferences, she advises everyone to get a cardiac screening. She is also working on eliminating or reducing the barriers to care as well on a legislative level, specifically in terms of insurance.
“It’s an uphill battle,” Champagne acknowledges. “But change is coming. I believe it’s coming….So it’s a process and I’m learning the process, whether it happens in my lifetime or not, that we get something passed, that would make cardiac screenings more standardized.” Free health screenings are essential for African-American women, as the mortality rate from coronary heart disease (CAD) is 69% higher in Black women than in white women. Mortality rates are decreased through early detection, and screening is invaluable for timely treatment options for those with heart disease and heart failure.
She emphasizes that on an individual level, it is extremely difficult to self-advocate.
“So I tell people, take a loved one, take a friend, you know, or someone with you, because…it’s always good to have an extra set of ears and eyes to ask the right questions when you have the issue,” Champagne said.
“You know your body, and don’t accept [everything] that you’re told. Keep pushing until you’re listened to.” She continues, “Get to know the people who could help and fight for you.”
Champagne wants to be one of those people, so she provides that support through Open My Heart’s monthly support meetings. These meetings are held for heart attack and stroke survivors, those at risk with high blood pressure and diabetes, and individuals who may have lost a loved one to a heart attack, stroke, or illness. They aim to unite people who’ve had similar experiences and provide a space for them to share their stories, develop friendships, and “get empowered in a compassionate, nurturing environment at our monthly meetings.” Professionals in the health and medical fields provide information, resources, and opportunities to participate, and heart-healthy meals are provided during each meeting.
The Open Heart Foundation also spearheaded the Healing Project, which is a community collaborative effort that provides comfort and hope for heart surgery patients post-operation. The foundation distributes Healing Baskets, which consist of “soft, fluffy comfort blankets covered with positive words, pillows, mugs, candles, lotions, slippers, cards, and more.”
Additionally, it helps fill in a gap for medical treatment, and equipment, as well as assistance with co-pays. An important service they provide is free health screenings, which include blood pressure and cardiac screenings. Once screened, patients have access to consultations with practitioners or physician assistants. These professionals will analyze results and refer patients who require additional medical care and follow-up to no-cost or low-cost medical facilities nearby or their primary care physician. The foundation also gives participants access to free educational information on a variety of health and wellness issues.
Heart disease affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year, either directly or indirectly, so in sharing this interview, I hope that other hearts will be opened to the importance of heart health awareness, as mine was. The most important thing, Florence Champagne told me, is awareness and interest in getting involved—being part of the solution. Getting to know your legislators and finding out what they represent and support is significant in advocating for change at the legislative level, which will ultimately help with the systemic problems.
In the words of Florence Champagne, “You’re not alone. You’re never alone. And you have to open up your voice…We have to open up to others to let them know what’s going on. It truly takes a village.”
Support the Open My Heart Foundation by checking out its website and following them on Facebook. You can also stay up to date with its Annual Red Dress Gala Awards this month, which honors heart attack and stroke survivors, medical professionals, and those who are giving back and making a difference in the heart health community. The foundation works with a local hospital to raise $30,000 to benefit heart and stroke patients, a great cause to support.
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