In the mid-1970s, heart disease was the number one killer in the state of Nebraska and in the nation. To combat this killer and provide a greater understanding of heart disease for Nebraskans, in 1974 the state legislature appropriated money to begin the creation of the UNMC Cardiovascular Center.
In 1975, Robert Eliott, MD, was appointed director of the cardiovascular center. He had suffered a heart attack in 1973 and had thought about ways to educate Nebraskans on heart disease prevention. With the assistance of the UNMC Department of Biomedical Communications and the Bozell and Jacobs advertising agency, Dr. Eliott developed “Heartline to Health,” a 30-minute weekly program on NETV out of Lincoln.
Filmed at the KYNE-TV studios at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, “Heartline to Health” consisted of a 15-minute, prerecorded segment covering topics such as pacemakers, hypertension, drugs that help the heart, sex and your heart, life after an attack, diet, exercise, diabetes and smoking. The second half of the segment allowed time for viewers from across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Colorado to call in toll-free to ask questions of a panel of doctors, on air or privately in the studio.
Dr. Eliott’s plan was to educate and encourage viewers to open a conversation with their primary care physician about heart health. Dr. Eliott was the host, and he and the panel did not wear their white coats on air or address each other as “doctor.” They used straightforward, plain talk that was easy to understand. Viewers could also write in and request a free home-study packet.
Alan Forker, MD, was responsible for the medical content and the expert panel, which included Robert Grissom, MD; Gerald Wolfe, MD; Charles Wilson, MD, chair of the Hypertension Subcommittee of the Nebraska Heart Association; and Herbert Benson, MD, of Harvard Medical School. Janet Stucky was the producer and Don Petersen was the director.
The first program aired on Nov. 13, 1975. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Director Bob Devaney guest-hosted the premier, titled “20th Century Epidemic.” The premier coincided with mass public blood pressure screening examinations, consulting services to community physicians, and continuing education for health professionals.
“Heartline to Health” aired 1975-1976 with 40 episodes.