Welcome to the American Heart Association’s Mid-Atlantic Affiliate (MAA) blog! We’re excited to share how we are working with our communities to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Triangle’s First AHA Blood Pressure Kiosk Placed at Food Bank
Representatives from the Triangle community gathered this week at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina for a ceremonial ribbon cutting of the first American Heart Association blood pressure kiosk in the Triangle area. Once the ribbon was cut, everyone took a step back while a volunteer leaped forward to be the first one to use the kiosk. She led the group by measuring her blood pressure, weight and BMI. A line of others followed to take control of their own blood pressure. These are the individuals leading the Triangle towards better health. Ceremony attendees included leadership from [...]
American Heart Association Celebrates 37th Annual Beach Ride
Charleston, SC - This year the American Heart Association celebrated their 37th annual Beach Ride where more than 1,100 horses and riders arrived at Lakewood Camping resort in Myrtle Beach from over 22 states for our 5-day event where they rode to raise awareness, honor loved ones and survivors, and celebrate funds raised to fight heart disease and stroke. One of our volunteers Debby Rose says it’s important for the equestrian community to unite behind this cause. “Because if your heart’s not healthy, it’s like no hoof, no horse - no heart, no life,” says Rose. The event was also the [...]
Mid-Atlantic’s Little Hats, Big Hearts
Volunteers around the country are helping raise awareness of of heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, and congenital heart defects, the most common type of birth defect in the country by knitting and crocheting little red hats to be given out through the American Heart Association's Little Hats, Big Hearts. The Mid-Atlantic Affiliate is proud to be continuing the program in 2019. For more information about the program in your state see the contact below: Maryland - Faye Brooks, faye.brooks@heart.org Washington, D.C. - Shannon Klosterman, shannon.klosterman@heart.org Virginia - Audry Dubon, audry.dubon@heart.org North Carolina - Kacie Kennedy, kacie.kennedy@heart.org Upstate South [...]
Community Celebrates a Life Saved by Teaching Hands-Only CPR
Midlands, SC - On October 10, Josh Boyd was playing a pick-up game of basketball with a couple of friends and two members of the Columbia Fire Department. As an athletic senior at Richland Northeast High School and Quarterback of the football team, no one would have imagined what would happen during the game. After missing a shot and running down the court, Josh collapsed. Josh wasn’t breathing, and he had no pulse. One of the firefighters started CPR immediately and continued until EMS arrived. Once at the hospital, the Boyd family learned Josh had experienced a heart attack and [...]
Five Ways to Enjoy a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season
Hampton Roads, VA - November is Eat Smart Month and while we promote eating healthy all year, we know the holidays can take a toll on your health if you don't have a plan in place. We believe you can be the best YOU by eating smart, moving more and making your well-being a priority. And you don’t have to wait until the holidays are over to get started! Here are 5 steps to take to make the healthy choice the easy choice, as well as fun and festive choice during the holiday season. 1. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables to give [...]
A legacy that is saving lives in Baltimore, MD
There are discrepancies between black and white neighborhoods in responses to cardiac arrest. People who live in predominantly black communities are less likely to get CPR or defibrillation from a bystander, and that means African-Americans have a worse survival rate when it comes to cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association estimates that more than 80 percent of the 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests that happen each year happen at home. And African-Americans are twice as likely to experience cardiac arrest in the house, compared to their white counterparts, and are twice as likely to die from it. The American Heart [...]
Target: BP Highlighted Resources
We are excited to begin highlighting resources for improving clinical care around blood pressure and cholesterol from around our networks each month. Continue to check back for more updates and the latest news. Action Needed: Submit Comments by 11/7 We must show the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that the medical community supports ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for the diagnosis of hypertension by leaving a comment today. The AHA and AMA asked CMS to provide Medicare coverage ABPM for the purposes of hypertension diagnosis. Last week, CMS officially agreed to consider our request and has opened [...]
Primary Care Coalition Sites in Greater Washington Recognized for Target BP
Greater Washington Region- On Friday October 26th the Greater Washington Region American Heart Association recognized the Primary Care Coalition (PCC) and their 11 Montgomery County Maryland clinical sites for Target BP recognition. PCC represents 50,000 diverse patients from clinics such as Mary’s Center, Chinese Culture and Community Service Center/Pan Asian Volunteer Health Clinic, and Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic and Dental Clinic. The PCC is deeply committed to providing a continuum of care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured, ethnically diverse residents of Montgomery County. The PCC has pledged to work with the American Heart Association Target BP initiative to provide their [...]
