The American Heart Association (AHA), the largest voluntary health organization fighting heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, announces Patrick L. Green, president and CEO, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, as chair of the 2020 Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk. The 2020 Eastern CT Heart Walk will take place on Sunday, September 27 at the Mohegan Tribe Reservation in Uncasville.
Patrick Green, 2019 Chair, Donna Handley and Maggie Fitter of the AHA
As chair, Patrick Green will lead the organizational and recruitment efforts in Eastern Connecticut. He will call on thousands of area volunteers, survivors, walkers, and business leaders to step up to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke, the leading cause of death in the United States. The heart walk is slated to raise $300,000.
“I am extremely honored and excited to be named the chair of the 2020 American Heart Association Walk,” said Patrick Green, president and CEO of Lawrence +Memorial (L+M) Hospital. “My role with L+M as part of Yale New Haven Health, is to improve the health of the communities we serve, which is why I am excited to be the new chair of the Heart Walk. One of my goals will be to increase participation by the engaging our staff, physicians and the community. In addition, I hope to support the AHA’s mission to raise awareness of heart disease and heart health – it is the responsibility of every one of us to become more educated and more aware, not just of our own heart health but of those we love.”
The AHA’s research-funded advancements continue to build upon best practices. These include mechanical pumps called left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), drug-coated stents, advanced CPR techniques without rescue breaths and other discoveries. Cardiovascular and stroke mortality rates decreased by 45 and 40 percent from 1991 to 2016, the most recent data figures available.
According to the association, even with these advancements, about 2,150 Americans die every day from cardiovascular disease, making it the No. 1 killer in the United States. Strokes claim the lives of nearly 129,000 each year making it the No. 5 killer of all Americans.
The Heart Walk also lends to the health of the community as walking is one of the safest, least expensive and most sustainable forms of exercise.
The Heart Walks are now part of the Healthy For Good initiative, which is the AHA’s initiative to inspire all Americans to live healthier lives and create lasting change. It focuses on the simple idea that making small changes today can create a difference for generations to come.
For more information about registering for the Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk visit www.easternctheartwalk.org. For more information about sponsorship opportunities call Maggie Fitter at 203-710-4930.