The Olympic Medical Center Foundation hosts the 17th-annual Red, Set, Go! Heart Luncheon, scheduled for 11:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m.on Friday, Feb. 23, at Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St., Port Angeles.

The luncheon is two-fold – it raises awareness about the critical issue of heart health for women on the Olympic Peninsula and is the primary fundraising event for the OMC Heart Center.

Presented by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the event has over the past 17 years the event has raised more than $700,000 for the center.

“Because we already have brought in a high level of sponsorship revenue, 100 percent of all money raised at the luncheon will go towards providing scholarships for current and future OMC Heart Center employees,” committee chair Karen Rogers said.

Persons interested in sponsoring or attending the event can contact the OMC Foundation office at 360-417-7144 or buy their tickets at omhf.org. Individual tickets are $75.

As an educational event, the lunch promotes education as that the key to eradicating heart disease.

“The purpose of our event is to inspire women to become more educated on how to improve their heart health,” OMC Heart Center Director Kara Urnes said.

Funds from the 2024 event will go towards providing scholarship funds to enable the Heart Center to grow its work force.

Employee recruitment is one of the most significant challenges facing the healthcare industry and OMC today, foundation representatives said. The foundation initiated this program along with OMC to increase the potential employee pool that OMC can draw from.

“One of the biggest obstacles that current employees, adults who want to change careers, and students face when they want to enter or advance in the healthcare field is the cost of education and training; we want to take that out of the equation,” foundation executive director Bruce Skinner said.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the Foundation’s support and development of a scholarship program to give OMC team and local community members the opportunity to pursue or further their education in health care,” said OMC Chief Nursing Officer Vickie Swanson.

“OMC is committed to working and supporting team members in their professional growth and development and sees this opportunity as a benefit to the individual, to Olympic Medical Center, and the residents of Clallam County. We look forward to developing and growing our caregiving workforce at OMC.”

Chad Melton, president of St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, said workforce development is crucial to ensuring the continued excellence of healthcare services on the Olympic Peninsula.

“Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is proud to support this legacy event that is investing in scholarships for current and prospective healthcare workers, addressing the pressing need for skilled healthcare professionals, and supporting the development of a pipeline of talent to benefit our community for years to come,” Melton said.

Said Rogers, “We invite all the women in our community to join us at our inspiring luncheon.”