Croí, West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation
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Croí (or Croí, West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation) is a registered Irish heart charity with their offices situated at the University College Hospital Galway (UCHG), Ireland.
Their stated mission is to ensure that the people of the West of Ireland receive the highest attainable level of cardiovascular healthcare, based on the best international standards. Croí focuses on supporting and developing initiatives in all areas of cardiac care, including in-hospital patient care, interventional cardiology, heart failure and other specialised clinics, cardiac surgery, patient care in the community, family support, disease prevention, community education and cardiovascular research.
Entirely funded by voluntary contributions, the foundation has helped developing areas of activity, namely Research, Education and the Development of Cardiac Services and Facilities throughout the West of Ireland since its inception in 1985.
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[edit] Origins of Croí
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death in Ireland, accounting for over one third of all deaths. Ireland still remains at the top of the international league, with the incidence of heart disease being higher in rural communities than in urban populations. Curiously, regional comparisons show that the incidence of heart disease is higher in the West of Ireland than that of the rest of the country.
It was in response to the special needs of the West of Ireland that Croí was established as a voluntary, charitable organisation in 1985. 'Croí', being the Irish word for 'heart' was chosen to be part of the Foundation's logo. It is particularly suitable in a West of Ireland context, given proximity to the Gaeltacht. The Croí™ logo is a registered trademark.
[edit] Projects and Milestones
Since its inception, Croí has pioneered a number of innovative projects and has contributed to significant milestones, which include:
- The establishment of the first Cardiac Catheter Laboratory in the West of Ireland and the subsequent support for upgrading of equipment at the Cardiac Catheter Laboratories at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG).
- The opening of the new Coronary Care Unit at University College Hospital Galway.
- The designation of University College Hospital Galway as the Supra-Regional Specialist Cardiac Centre and Cardiac Surgical Centre for the West of Ireland.
- The launch of the 'Croí Mobile Emergency Cardiac Care Unit' – bringing hospital coronary care directly to the patient.
- The Croí Nurse Programme – providing out-of-hospital support for heart patients and their families.
- The 'Community Access Defibrillation Programme' – promoting early access to defibrillators, in collaboration with the Ambulance Service.
The range of Croí-funded initiatives is diverse - from the funding of cardiac equipment and collaborative research - to innovative educational projects in the community. To-date, over €12 million has been raised and invested to support cardiology developments.
[edit] Special needs of the West of Ireland
The West of Ireland has a unique profile and as such, has very special cardiac needs. These are based on the following points:
Regionally, the West of Ireland has a higher incidence of heart disease and a higher mortality rate when compared with other parts of Ireland. Research data shows that the rate of activity in hospitals due to Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) is much higher for patients from the West of Ireland compared to the national average.
Health promotion surveys in relation to risk factors for heart disease have shown a significantly higher proportion of smokers in the West of Ireland than on the East coast. The Western seaboard population accounts for over 20% of the country's population and has a significantly higher proportion of persons in the older age groups (a population with a recognised higher prevalence of heart disease.) It is also recognised that there is a positive correlation between increasing age and the incidence of heart disease. Over a fifth of the national population in the age range 50-70 years live in the West of Ireland, with a predicted population increase in this category within the next 10 years.
Over 45% of the population within the referral region are medical card holders (public patients) - thus giving a strong indicator of the heavy demands being made on the Public Health Service in this region. The geographical spread of the region is vast compared to other Health Board areas and as such, emergency access to cardiac treatment can sometimes be delayed. Transport is also a problem, with considerable reliance on public services, given the low ratio of privately owned cars when compared to the rest of the country.
