According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die and more than half don’t receive bystander CPR. CPR — especially if performed immediately — can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To help improve cardiac arrest outcomes in Hudson Valley, Ali Hammoud, M.D., a cardiologist at Nuvance Health, part of Northwell Health, is chairing the 2026 Hudson Valley Heart Walk, leading a year-round effort to rally companies and community members to raise critical funds and expand CPR education. Dr. Hammoud also chaired the 2025 Hudson Valley Heart Walk.
Heart Walk is the largest community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, Heart Walk aims to make CPR education and training more accessible, fund vital research and drive equitable health for all. Under Hammoud’s leadership, top executives in the Hudson Valley will work to recruit other organizations to join the local Heart Walk campaign and help build a community of lifesavers.
“Cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, and the outcome often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do,” Hammoud said. “We envision at least one person in every household feeling confident to perform CPR. By joining the Heart Walk, Hudson Valley employers can help ensure that when it matters most, their employees are prepared to act during a cardiac emergency.”
According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of people — or approximately 103 million U.S. adults — now feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 17.7 million more adults who are highly confident in their ability to conduct CPR, yet 61% still lack high confidence to act in a cardiac emergency.
“While we’re extremely proud of the progress that’s been made over the last several years, our work is far from over,” said Amy Young, executive director for the American Heart Association – Hudson Valley. “Dr. Hammoud’s commitment to making the Hudson Valley a safer, stronger community is proof he’s the right person for the role. We’re looking forward to seeing incredible results from this year’s Heart Walk campaign and hope the community will join us in making it a success.”
The Heart Association is a global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and the official publisher of CPR guidelines. Through the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association is working to ensure that more people are ready to perform CPR and be a vital link in the chain of survival, supporting its goal of doubling the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 2030.
The Hudson Valley Heart Walk will take place on April 25, 2026, at Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Ave., in Newburgh. Participants will walk in celebration of local survivors and the lifesaving progress made in Hudson Valley. Companies interested in participating can contact local Heart Walk Director Valerie Ubriaco at Valerie.Ubriaco@heart.org. Learn more and register at www.heart.org/hudsonvalleyheartwalk.
Event sponsors include:
- Westchester Medical Center Health
- Adams Fairacre Farms
- Nuvance Health, part of Northwell Health
- Laerdal Medical
- Media sponsors: The Wolf, WPDH, Hudson Valley Magazine, Southern Dutchess News, Northern Dutchess News and The Beacon Free Press