Beth Kravetz, director of perfusion services for Procirca at UPMC Altoona, has been named the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women 2024 Blair 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, Kravetz 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, Kravetz 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.
“My favorite part of being a Woman of Impact nominee was the opportunity to bring women together to have important conversations about their health,” said Kravetz. “You would be surprised how many people are affected by heart disease, either personally or someone they love.”
Beth Kravetz has worked as a perfusionist at Altoona Hospital, eventually Procirca at UPMC Altoona, since 1996. She became director of perfusion services in 2012. Beth lives in Altoona with her husband of 25 years, John and their three children.
The Woman of Impact campaign launched in over 100 cities on National Wear Red Day, Feb. 2. In Blair County, five community leaders were nominated to participate. Collectively, this year’s Blair County nominees and raised $33,867 for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
Other local nominees included:
- 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
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.
To learn more about the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement and the Blair Go Red for Women Event and Fashion Show on May 23, visit heart.org/blairgored.
[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