Alicia Luciani, senior technical business analyst at Capital Blue Cross, has been named the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women 2024 Capital Region Woman of Impact Winner for her work to raise funds and spread awareness in the fight against heart disease and stroke in women and improve health and well-being in the local community. In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women.
Over the course of nine-weeks, Luciani along with a team of family, friends and colleagues, competed for the Woman of Impact title by participating in various community awareness and fundraising activities. After raising critical funds and driving women’s health education initiatives, Luciani was named this year’s winner. The Woman of Impact campaign is part of the American Heart Association’s signature Go Red for Women’s 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.
“I accepted the Woman of Impact nomination in memory of my mom,” said Luciani. “She always put everyone else first, even as heart disease was taking her own life. Through her, I learned so much about my own health and became a better advocate for myself and others. Advocating for more treatments and better outcomes for all women is how I’m keeping her legacy alive.”
The Woman of Impact campaign launched in over 100 cities on National Wear Red Day, Feb. 2. In the Harrisburg area, eight community leaders were nominated to participate. Collectively, this year’s Capital Region nominees raised over $36,860 for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
Other local nominees included:
- Shannon Claire, brand photographer and owner, The Content Creator’s Collective
- Jenn Dusart, owner, Workout With Jenn LLC
- Brandi Hunter-Davenport, senior associate, Triad Strategies
- Addeline Alaniz Edwards, business development specialist, Abel Personnel
- Carmen Kitts, RN, aesthetic registered nurse, GLO Skin Care MD
- Eliz Nestorov, owner and chief influence officer, AKAEVA Consulting
- Amy B. Porto, PhD, RD, owner and registered dietitian, Professor Eatbetter LLC
Women naturally experience unique life stages that increase their risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the course of their lifetime. While the large majority of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular disease continues to be a woman’s greatest health threat, as nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of CVD.[1] Women involved in Woman of Impact are paving the way for the future of women’s heart health and enabling more women to live longer and healthier lives.
The Woman of Impact nominees and winner will be recognized at the annual Capital Region Go Red for Women event on May 16 at the West Shore Country Club in Camp Hill. To learn more about the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement and the Capital Region Go Red for Women Event, visit heart.org/goredhbg.
[1], [1][1], [1][1][1] , [1]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