OTHELLO — Staff at Columbia Basin Health Association (CBHA) will don red clothing Thursday, Feb. 4 as a symbol of their efforts geared toward the prevention of heart disease.

The prominence of the color red is at its annual peak in February, as many people use it to signify love and affection with boxes of chocolates, flowers, red ties, dresses and more. At CBHA, red is “the color of our hearts” and the color is worn to raise awareness about the dangers of heart disease.

Patrons who stop at CBHA clinics Feb. 4 will see this idea come to life, as staff members will sport red clothing. The first Friday of February each year is National Wear Red Day. This year, that day is Feb. 5.

Dr. Catherine Dinglasan, a CBHA physician, said heart disease is “the number one killer of women.” According to the American Heart Association (AHA), one in three deaths among women is caused by heart disease and stroke — more than all forms of cancer combined.

“Those numbers are staggering,” Dinglasan said via a release from the association.

Statistics also indicate that as many as 80 percent of cardiac and stroke attacks may be prevented with education and awareness, according to the CBHA release.

The Columbia Basin Health Association is hoping to do its part in curbing the overwhelming statistics relating to heart disease. In addition to staff wearing red Feb. 4, CBHA clinics will also provide free heart health screenings that day. Staff will be in the clinics’ lobbies taking blood pressures and conducting heart assessments. The event will last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 4 only.

“We schedule this event every year at no charge to help women determine their risk factors,” Kathy Whitney, CBHA nurse manager, said.

Dinglasan, a family practice physician with advanced training in obstetrics, joined the CBHA medical staff in 2005. She sees patients at the Othello Family Clinic and the Wahluke Family Clinic in Mattawa, and she advises women to prioritize their heart health.

“We like to review a woman’s overall heart health every year and keep an eye on her blood pressure, cholesterol levels and look for signs of heart disease, stroke and other illnesses,” Dinglasan said.

For more information on National Wear Red Day, visit www.goredforwomen.org.

For more information on the CBHA, visit www.cbha.org or contact the association at 509-488-5256.