Hundreds participate in Kaweah Health’s Stayin’ Alive Cardiac 5k in Visalia

Hundreds participate in Kaweah Health’s Stayin’ Alive Cardiac 5k in Visalia

VISALIA – More than 200 people celebrated heart month Saturday, running in Kaweah Health’s Stayin’ Alive Cardiac 5K Run/Walk presented by Kaweah Health.

Set during American Heart Month, this fun, disco-themed 5K run and walk got hearts pumping at Visalia Sports Park, 3611 N. Dinuba Boulevard. After the race, participants got a pulse on their heart health with free health screenings from the only hospital in the Central Valley to make Healthgrades’ America’s 50 Best Hospital for Cardiac Surgery™ for 6 Years in a Row (2018-2023).

All finishers received a free medal and race/chip results. Prizes were given for first, second, and third place for fastest male and female, along with prizes for winners of a disco attire contest.

First place winners for the fastest time were Anthony Lucero, M.D. and Kimberly Sokol, M.D., both Emergency Medicine physicians. This married couple works together at Kaweah Health and wanted to support heart health and wellness in the community.

“I love running, and that’s actually how she and I met. It is a part of what brought us together, and this event is great because you don’t have to be a runner. Anyone can come out here and jog or walk to the finish line. We look forward to future runs by Kaweah Health,” said Dr. Lucero.

For its superior clinical outcomes in heart bypass surgery and heart valve surgery, Kaweah Health is among the top 5 percent in the nation for cardiac surgery. Kaweah Health is the only California affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic, the No. 1 ranked heart program in the U.S. every year since 1995. Through this affiliation, physicians and staff from Kaweah Health and Cleveland Clinic collaborate to improve healthcare services and outcomes by implementing best practices and using data to improve care. Additionally, Kaweah Health offers a full range of cardiovascular services in partnership with local physicians, who can be found at KaweahHealth.org/heart.

Kaweah Health is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County. With more than 5,000 employees and 700 medical staff, Kaweah Health is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services and specialized health centers and clinics. For more information, visit www.kaweahhealth.org or follow Kaweah Health on Twitter and Facebook.