Sanford Bemidji Offers Free Heart Failure Education on First Wednesdays

Sanford Bemidji is launching a free, ongoing heart failure education series for patients and community members, held the first Wednesday of each month from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. The program appears under two closely related titles in local notices and on Sanford’s website: "Your Heart, Your Health: How to Manage Your Heart Failure" and "Your heart, your health: Learning how to manage your heart failure."

Organizers say the sessions are designed to help people better understand heart failure and take active steps to protect and improve their cardiovascular health. "This free, informative series provides patients and community members with knowledge, tools and support to live healthier, more confident lives." "Whether attendees are newly diagnosed or seeking to build more knowledge, the class will cover a broad range of topics that support daily life with heart failure."

Topics scheduled across the series include an overview of heart failure and the local heart failure program, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, hands-only CPR techniques, heart-healthy diets, medication management, women and cardiovascular disease, palliative care and advanced care directives, mental health and heart disease, and caregiver education and support. Sanford’s event page lists Education Rooms A and B as the classroom locations inside the medical center.

Classes are free, do not require registration, and attendees may join at any time. Scheduled sessions at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center run 3 to 4 p.m. on the first Wednesdays of the month, with dates listed for Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, May 6, and June 3, 2026. For more information or questions about the heart failure series, call (218) 333-4564 or email bemidjihf@sanfordhealth.org.

The education series is one part of Sanford Bemidji’s broader heart and vascular offerings. Separate screening events previously organized at the Sanford Bemidji Heart and Vascular Center carried a $35 screening fee, with a heart calcium score available as an additional $50 depending on screening results. Those screenings were recommended for people aged 35 and older, with appointment windows previously offered between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Scheduling for screenings is available at 218-333-5384. "This is a great opportunity for the Bemidji community to have their hearts, veins, and arteries screened for signs of heart disease and vascular disease," said Dr. Kevin Schoepel of Sanford Bemidji Heart and Vascular Center.

Sanford Health describes itself as the largest rural health system in the United States, serving more than one million patients and 201,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles with 46 medical centers and an extensive provider network. For Beltrami County residents, the monthly heart failure classes offer a no-cost, local way to learn practical steps, from hands-only CPR to medication management, that can help patients and caregivers manage daily life with heart disease and connect with clinic resources ahead of future screenings or care needs.