Healthy Heart Event Draws Record 1,641 Attendees Across Nine Locations

DETROIT — When Derrick Lewis walked into Henry Ford Health’s Healthy Heart free screening event on Detroit’s Second Avenue this month, he wasn’t just checking his heart — he was continuing a routine he’s come to rely on.

Lewis, who does not have health insurance, attended last year’s event in Southfield and made sure to return this year when the screenings were expanded to two locations within the city of Detroit. For him and hundreds of others, the annual event offers a rare opportunity to receive critical preventive heart care at no cost.

“I try to come every time they have it,” Lewis said. “I know I needed to get checked out, so this was the perfect opportunity.”

Lewis was one of a record 1,641 attendees who participated in Henry Ford Health’s annual Healthy Heart event on April 18 — the largest turnout in the initiative’s more than 20‑year history. The one‑day screening event spanned nine locations across metro Detroit, Jackson, and Grand Blanc, reflecting both its continued growth and rising demand for accessible cardiovascular care.

This year’s Healthy Heart event offered free, comprehensive heart screenings at hospitals and medical centers throughout the region. Participants received a whole‑heart checkup that included blood pressure screenings, body mass index measurements, blood glucose testing and electrocardiograms, along with stroke assessments and individualized heart risk reviews. Attendees received the results the same day and met with a physician to discuss findings and recommend next steps.

“Our mission at Henry Ford Health is to serve the community, and that’s truly what this event does,” said Dr. Shukri David, co-chair of heart and vascular services for Henry Ford Health. “Just imagine the scale of what was accomplished: 1,641 patients seen — the equivalent of filling four 410‑bed hospitals where every patient received EKGs, blood sugar checks, vital signs and BMI assessments.
“That level of dedication from our team members is truly remarkable.”

The 2026 event built on last year’s momentum by expanding from six locations in 2025 to a record nine sites. New host locations included Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and Henry Ford Medical Center – Second Avenue in Detroit. The other locations were Henry Ford Genesys Heart Center in Grand Blanc, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, Henry Ford Rochester Hospital, Henry Ford Providence Southfield Hospital, Henry Ford St. John Hospital in Detroit and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.

With the added sites, Healthy Heart screenings were offered across five counties and, for the first time, at two locations within the city of Detroit — helping expand access to preventive heart care in communities with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and chronic illness.

For Lewis, the screenings serve as a critical check‑in, even if they are not a substitute for routine medical care.

“As the doctor said, I still have to get actually checked out,” he said. “This is not replacing doctors’ visits. But it’s very beneficial.”

Now in its 21st year, the Healthy Heart initiative continues to play a key role in identifying early signs of heart disease and related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart rhythm disorders. Since launching in 2005, the event has provided free cardiovascular screenings to more than 20,000 people — often uncovering potentially life‑threatening conditions that might otherwise go undiagnosed.

The record turnout in 2026 underscores the program’s expanding reach and Henry Ford Health’s ongoing commitment to strengthening community heart health through prevention, education and early intervention.

Among the attendees were friends Veda Guy of Ecorse and Louise Grissom of Detroit, who learned about the event through a FOX 2 broadcast and decided to attend together. Both said the experience motivated them to encourage others to participate in future Healthy Heart screenings.

“It is well‑needed,” Guy said. “I try to get checked as often as possible, because there are so many people who don’t go to the hospital, don’t get checked — and things happen. So this is amazing.”
Grissom echoed that sentiment and said she plans to spread the word. “I would recommend it to a whole lot of people,” she said. “We found out about it at the last minute, but I came because I wanted to know about my health.”

Together, Guy and Grissom said they plan to serve as ambassadors for the Healthy Heart event, encouraging friends, family and neighbors to take advantage of future screenings — helping ensure even more community members benefit from early detection and preventive care in the years ahead.

Healthy Heart by the Numbers:

• 1,641: Healthy Heart participants in 2026
• 9: Participating Henry Ford Health locations
• 241: Southfield participants
• 281: Participants at two Detroit locations
• 330: Participants at new location in West Bloomfield
• 20,000+: Residents screened since 2005

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MEDIA CONTACT: mediarelations@hfhs.org