Hospital Executives to Lead Go Red for Women in Westchester County

The American Heart Association (AHA), the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all announced today that White Plains Hospital will help lead the Go Red for Women® movement in Westchester County formally kicking-off on World Heart Day – September 29.

Hospital Executives to Lead Go Red for Women in Westchester County

Jennifer Bello, R.N., Senior Director of Nursing

Hospital Executives to Lead Go Red for Women in Westchester County

Dawn French, Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communication

Dawn French, Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communication and Community Relations at White Plains Hospital and Jennifer Bello, R.N., Senior Director of Nursing, will serve as co-chairs for the 2021-2022 Westchester Go Red for Women movement.

In her role at White Plains Hospital, Ms. French is responsible for overseeing the brand and public reputation of the Hospital through management of marketing, communications and community relations as well as government affairs efforts. A member of the executive leadership team, she also provides counsel that helps the organization prioritize strategies to deliver on its mission of providing care that is exceptional, every day.

Jennifer Bello, in her role is responsible for overseeing the inpatient clinical operations for critical care, step down/progressive care, hemodialysis and respiratory care units. She has been with White Plans Hospital for 20 years. She holds her Master’s degree from Hunter College as an Adult and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner as well as a National Certification as an Advanced Nurse Executive. As a member of the nursing leadership team, she collaborates to help develop service lines to help bring high quality care closer to home.

As co-chairs of the Go Red for Women movement in Westchester, French and Bello will work to raise funds and spread awareness of heart disease while championing the Go Red for Women mission.  The American Heart Association uses all revenues from local and National Go Red for Women activities to support research, education, and community programs to benefit cardiovascular disease prevention in women.

“I am honored to continue my leadership role in the Go Red for Women campaign in Westchester County, and I’m so pleased to co-chair with Jennifer as a clinical leader as we continue to seek to engage, educate and empower women to improve their health,” said Ms. French.

Go Red for Women is a year-round movement that ensures all women are aware of their risk of heart disease and stroke, helps women take charge of their health, engages more women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and research, and addresses inequities in access and quality of care.

“Imagine three women in your life.  Did you know that one of them is likely to die from heart disease?  Cardiovascular diseases remain the number one killer around the world, taking the lives of 1 in 3 women.  One life is too many, especially when we know that much of heart disease and stroke is preventable and treatable,” Ms. Bello said.

To reach women in Westchester with this life-saving message, this year’s campaign will kick-off with a World Heart Day celebration – A Women’s Health Engagement, Education and Empowerment Webinar featuring Shalini Bobra, MD, Cardiologist at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates and Patrick Thomas, MD, MBA, FACC, FAHA,  a board member of the Westchester and Eastern Region of the American Heart Association and cardiologist at NYPMG Hudson Valley Cardiology, on Wednesday, September 29 from 12noon – 12:30pm.  The public can register for this free Zoom webinar here:  https://heart.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__-YjNFRaSmGxl3OK_qAdEg.

World Heart Day is a global campaign during which individuals, families, communities and governments around the world participate in activities to take charge of their heart health and that of others.  Through this campaign, the World Heart Federation unites people from all countries and backgrounds in the fight against the heart disease burden and inspires and drives international action to encourage heart-healthy living across the world.

“The fact is cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute,” said Damara Gutnick, MD, FACP, President of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association in Westchester County and Senior Director in the Montefiore Health System’s Office of Community and Population Health, and an Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the departments of Epidemiology and Population Health, Family and Social Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  “There are several misconceptions about heart disease in women, and they could be putting women at risk.”

Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by White Plains Hospital.

For more information on the Go Red for Women movement in Westchester County please contact Megan Lucas at [email protected].

Hospital Executives to Lead Go Red for Women in Westchester County