The American Heart Association’s annual Heart Ball celebrated Philadelphians working to reduce health care disparities
PHILADELPHIA, March 25 2024 — The Philadelphia Heart Ball, held March 23 at the National Constitution center, was a celebration of 100 years of the American Heart Association and the Heart of Philadelphia campaign, a year-round movement to drive equitable health in Greater Philadelphia. The campaign raised nearly $1.8 million to support the American Heart Association’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives while supporting priority issues in Greater Philadelphia, such as Improving hypertension control, increasing nutrition security, and removing barriers to CPR and AED education.
“More than 500 leaders came together to support the American Heart Association’s work in reducing barriers to health care access and quality,” said Jennifer Litchman-Green, Senior Executive Director at the American Heart Association of Greater Philadelphia. “More than that, we were also able to celebrate the amazing work being done by our honorees, all of whom are dedicated to improving equity in areas like North and West Philadelphia.”
The honorees included:
- 2023 National Leaders of Impact winner, Devon Mitchell – Inspired by his friend’s experience with sudden cardiac arrest and effective bystander CPR, Devon participated in a fundraising challenge and secured more than $100,000 for the American Heart Association’s mission.
- 2024 Edward S. Cooper Award Honorees, Dr. Sindhu Srinivas and Dr. Adi Hirshberg, Maternal Fetal Health specialists at Penn Medicine and co-founders of Heart Safe Motherhood – Heart Safe Motherhood uses an app to overcome in-person barriers to care for new moms at risk of hypertension and related complications. Through its work, the Heart Safe Motherhood program has reduced disparities in care as well as lowered readmission rates for new mothers.
- 2024 Heart of Philadelphia Honorees, Kenneth and Andréa Frazier – As philanthropic leaders, the Frazier have dedicated their efforts in the Greater Philadelphia region and beyond to address health equity with a focus on removing barriers for those most disproportionately impacted by heart disease and stroke.
- 2024 Open Your Heart story, the Gupta-Patel family – Two-year-old Savera was born with a heart defect, which has inspired her whole family to support the work of the American Heart Association.
Sponsored by Infor, Jefferson, Merck, NFI Industries, Penn Medicine, Main Line Health, and Independence Blue Cross and AmeriHealth Caritas, the 2024 Philadelphia Heart Ball was an evening of storytelling, dinner, dancing, and exciting live and silent auctions celebrating the work done locally as well as globally in the first 100 years of the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association commemorates its centennial in 2024 – marking 100 years of scientific discovery and innovation. With bold hearts, the Association’s volunteers, supporters, and staff forge ahead into the organization’s second century.