PORT ANGELES — The Olympic Medical Center Foundation will host the 16th-annual Red, Set, Go! Heart Luncheon on Friday.

The luncheon will be from 11:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Friday at the Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St., Port Angeles.

The luncheon’s purpose 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.

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 toward providing scholarship funds to enable the Heart Center to expand its work force.

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

“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 health care field is the cost of education and training; we want to take that out of the equation,” said Bruce Skinner, foundation executive director.

Said OMC Chief Nursing Officer Vickie Swanson: “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.

“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.”

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