EL DORADO —Kermit Poling, conductor of the South Arkansas Symphony, will be the keynote speaker at the 2017 Go Red for Men and Women Luncheon to be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Feb. 16, at the El Dorado Country Club, according to Lauren Ritchie, Healthy Woman board president.
The Medical Center of South Arkansas Healthy Woman Board hosts the annual Go Red event to promote healthy hearts and raise funds for American Heart Association research. Co-chairs of the event this year are Ginger and Jerry Bullard and Alieta and Robert Rupp.
“I am a great example of someone who ignored pending signs of heart disease until it was almost too late,” said Poling. “I am a bit of a workaholic with always another concert, another meeting, another piece of music to write.” Poling went for a heart cath expecting a stent and was told he had no choice but to immediately have triple bypass heart surgery.
Poling will share his inspirational story with luncheon guests and said he encourages everyone to check their “heartlight” and know the numbers you need to keep it beating perfectly. “Take the time to understand what your body needs to have a heart healthy lifestyle. I so enjoy my work that I didn’t think I could take the time out even for surgery. I called substitutes to conduct for two of my events the week of my surgery…and the world didn’t come to a grinding halt.”
Named by Forum Magazine as one of the top 10 faces to watch, Poling is celebrating his 22nd season as music director of the South Arkansas Symphony and serves as general manager of the Red River Radio public radio network at Louisiana State University-Shreveport – a position he was appointed to in 2006.
It is his 27th season as music director of the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet and he is in his 31st year as associate conductor of the Shreveport Symphony, where he also was concertmaster for over 27 years. He has produced the Shreveport Symphony’s broadcast series since 1987, having also produced radio programming for WBUR Boston and other public radio stations.
In 2015, he became music director of the Marshall Symphony Orchestra in Texas. As a conductor, Poling performs extensively throughout the United States and around the world and has been featured in Italy, Mexico, Moscow, China and many other orchestras throughout his career.
Poling has been a featured conductor, is an accomplished composer, has recorded productions ranging from motion picture scores to commercials, served on college faculties, served as artist-in-residence at several universities and has received numerous awards throughout his career.
Poling was featured as an expert on the reality TV show Baggage Battles in 2013 on the A&E network.
“When I conducted the Symphony on the Square in May (2016 in El Dorado), it was the first time I had conducted a concert without chest pain in three years!” said Poling. “I’ll be happy to share my story. I had a lot of people praying for me, sending me positive thoughts and energy. I had an army of people involved on my behalf and I still get teary eyed talking about it.”
Go Red for Men and Women will host a complimentary heartlight health risk assessment provided by MCSA and the Heart & Vascular Institute. Physicians and nurse practitioners will be available to answer specific heart health questions and the MCSA lab will offer free lipid profiles. Arkansas has the sixth highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the country and heart disease is the number one killer in Arkansas. Smoking, weight and physical activity are major contributors to heart disease.
The Heart and Vascular Institute at Medical Center of South Arkansas is the only Accredited Chest Pain Center in the area with interventional cardiologists, 24/7 cardiac catherization labs, cardiothoracic (open-heart surgeon) and nationally certified cardiac rehabilitation clinic.
The Go Red for Men and Women Luncheon will include screenings and a silent auction that will be held from 11 a.m. until noon. Lunch and the program presentation will be from noon until 1 p.m. Call 870-864-3282 or 3245 for tickets or more information or go to TheMedCenter.net.