To kick off February as American Heart Month, five women from across Blair County, Pennsylvania, are joining the American Heart Association to fight their number one health threat, cardiovascular disease (CVD) through the Woman of Impact initiative. Woman of Impact is an extension of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement, a comprehensive platform designed more than two decades ago to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. This year’s Woman of Impact class will work from February 2 to April 4 to raise funds to support research and education to better identify, diagnose, treat and prevent CVD in women.
Woman of Impact, a nationwide initiative, launched in more than 100 cities across the country on National Wear Red Day, February 2. At the start of the campaign, hundreds of nominees nationwide embark on a nine-week journey to help transform the health of women through education and fundraising. Each week, nominees participate in activities designed to create a culture of wellness and advance health equity. Activities may include educational events, learning and spreading the word about CPR, getting physically active, recruiting women to participate in research and more. Nominees also raise critical funds for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
The 2024 Blair Woman of Impact Nominees are:
- Beth Kravetz, CCP, director of perfusion services, Procirca at UPMC Altoona
- Aneta Kular, MD, internal medicine, UPMC Altoona
- Terrina McIntosh, supervisor of inpatient/outpatient coding, UPMC Altoona
- Katie Montgomery, PA-C, cardiology physician assistant, UPMC Altoona
- Tammy Morgan, RN, inpatient behavioral health nurse, UPMC Altoona
On April 4, one nominee will be named the 2024 Blair Woman of Impact Winner. In addition to local market winners, one nominee from across the country will be named the National Woman of Impact Winner.
Women experience unique life stages that can increase their risk of developing CVD over the course of their lifetime. In fact, CVD is the number one killer of new moms as the leading case of maternal mortality.[1] Nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of CVD[2]. The good news is, the majority of cardiovascular events can be prevented with lifestyle changes and education which is the foundation of the Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
The Woman of Impact winner will be recognized at the 2024 Blair Go Red for Women Event and Fashion Show, set for Thursday, May 23 at the Blair County Convention Center. To learn more, visit heart.org/blairgored.
[1] Centers for Disease Control Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System Table: Causes of Pregnancy-Related Deaths
[2], [2][2], [2][2][2] , [2]V Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, Anderson CAM, Arora P, Avery CL, Baker-Smith CM, Beaton AZ, Boehme AK, Buxton AE, Commodore Mensah Y, Elkind MSV, Evenson KR, Eze-Nliam C, Fugar S, Generoso G, Heard DG, Hiremath S, Ho JE, Kalani R, Kazi DS, Ko D, Levine DA,Liu J, Ma J, Magnani JW, Michos ED, Mussolino ME, Navaneethan SD, Parikh NI, Poudel R, Rezk-Hanna M, Roth GA, Shah NS, St-Onge M-P, Thacker EL, Virani SS, Voeks JH, Wang N-Y, Wong ND, Wong SS, Yaffe K, Martin SS; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: a report from the American Heart Association [published ahead of print January 25, 2023].
Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123