The American Heart Association today proudly announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Albany Medical Center aimed at improving the heart health of the Capital Region.
During 2017, Albany Med will join forces with the American Heart Association to promote “Life is Why,” the Heart Association’s national campaign designed to help individuals make small changes in their lifestyle that will result in healthier, happier and longer lives. It emphasizes a personal connection to cardiac health by encouraging everyone of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds to consider what or who they are living for, and turn that into their personal motivation for making change.
As “Life is Why” unfolds in the coming year, Albany Med and the American Heart Association will focus on opportunities to educate the entire community about ways to prevent heart disease for themselves and their families.
“Albany Medical Center has a longstanding relationship with the American Heart Association as we both work to combat heart attack and stroke and to find better treatments and ways to prevent heart disease. With our physicians and clinical teams recognized for delivering exceptional cardiac care and our scientists exploring the causes and potential improvements in treatment for cardiovascular diseases, combined with the Heart Association’s nationally recognized educational work and research, we believe we stand in a unique place to impact heart health in the Capital Region. Albany Medical Center is very pleased to be working with the American Heart Association as part of the first-ever ‘Life is Why’ campaign in the Capital Region,” said Vincent Verdile, M.D., The Lynne and Mark Groban, M.D., ’67, Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College and Albany Med senior executive vice president for system care delivery.
Heart disease is the number-one killer of both men and women in the United States. However, 80 percent of heart disease and stroke-related illnesses are preventable by knowing your numbers and making heart-healthy lifestyle changes, such as becoming more active and eating healthier.
Albany Med will help educate Capital Region residents about the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” campaign, highlighting the seven risk factors for heart disease and stroke: smoking, weight management, cholesterol, high blood pressure, blood glucose, nutrition and physical activity.
Also, as part of the collaboration, Albany Med will serve as the premier sponsor for American Heart Association signature events, including the Capital Region Heart Ball, Go Red For Women Luncheon and the Capital Region Heart Walk & Run. Albany Med and the American Heart Association will provide Hands-Only CPR® education and training in three area high schools and will place blood pressure machines in the community.
“With the support of ‘Life Is Why’ from Albany Medical Center, we will take a giant step forward in improving the health of the entire Capital Region,” said John Guastella, executive director of the American Heart Association in Albany. “Albany Med’s focus on cardiovascular care and brain health supports our mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Every year, our national and affiliate-based volunteer peer-review research committees award funding to Albany Med biomedical researchers.
“Albany Med’s leaders have also stepped up to be our leaders. Their doctors and executives have served on our local and affiliate advisory boards and chaired our events,” he continued. “Several Albany Med physicians are involved in the leadership of a community-wide program that will improve the treatment of the most severe heart attacks. Albany Med embraces our workplace wellness initiative, and receives accolades for its work with our ‘Get With the Guidelines’ program, improving the quality of in-hospital care. We are proud to align with Albany Medical Center as part of our ‘Life Is Why’ campaign, and we are grateful that Albany Med deepened our already strong relationship by saying yes. Together, the American Heart Association and Albany Medical Center will work to change the statistic that heart disease is the number-one killer of all Americans.”
Learn more about “Life is Why” at www.heart.org/lifeiswhy.
About the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Albany Medical Center
Albany Medical Center, northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center, is one of the largest private employers in the Capital Region. It incorporates the 734-bed Albany Medical Center Hospital, which offers the widest range of medical and surgical services in the region, and the Albany Medical College, which trains the next generation of doctors, scientists and other health care professionals, and includes a biomedical research enterprise and the region’s largest physician practice with more than 450 doctors. Albany Medical Center works with dozens of community partners to improve the region’s health and quality of life. For more information: www.amc.edu or www.facebook.com/albanymedicalcenter.