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George Washington High’s Heart Club making a difference within the school and the community
By Manvitha Sanjaya, President of the George Washington High Heart Club On May 28, the GWHS Heart Club hosted a hands-only CPR and AED demonstration for Anatomy and Physiology students at George Washington High School. Heart Club president Manvitha Sanjaya led the training, teaching students how to perform chest compressions and how to operate an … Read more
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Heart Healthy Hunting: Delaney’s Journey of Love, Loss, and Advocacy
Delaney Roberts has been a spokesperson for the Heart Healthy Hunting campaign since its inception and is part of West Virginia’s first ever Youth Advocacy Group. When I first got involved with the West Virginia chapter of the American Heart Association, I had no idea it would become such a big part of my life. … Read more
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New members join initiative championing health in schools across the Northeast
Superintendents across the Northeast region are working with the American Heart Association to improve the health and well-being of students, families and educators. Nineteen superintendents were selected to serve as volunteer leaders for the second year of the Association’s Eastern States Superintendent Council. In its second year, the Superintendent Council has new leadership. Mark Laurrie, … Read more
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work – How an Office Meeting became a CPR Emergency
Cindy Keely is a Quality Systems Director for the American Heart Association and is a certified CPR instructor. She shares this incredible story for CPR Awareness Week. It started off as a normal Monday back to the office day the first week of June a few years ago, but it turned out to be something … Read more
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Connecting With Cardio: How My Heart Health Journey Became My Mission
Courtney Bearer, Miss Morgantown 2025, shares how a family history of heart disease led her to turn her personal journey for a healthy heart into a movement in her community, including helping with the 2025 Morgantown Heart Walk Growing up, movement was second nature to me. From my earliest memories in a dance studio to … Read more
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Join Us at the Inaugural Rural Health Summit!
Imagine living in a town without a doctor or being 200 miles away from the nearest hospital. For one in five people in the U.S., including 5.7 million residents of rural communities throughout the Eastern States, this is a reality. Rural areas face significant health care challenges. On average, people in these communities live almost … Read more
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30 Years of Saving Hearts: John & Melissa Rataiczak
When it comes to the Heart Ball, getting a dedicated chair is key to a successful event. Luckily, for the West Virginia team and the Ohio Valley Heart Ball, they have had an incredible pair of chairs for 30 years! Since 1995, John and Melissa Rataiczak have led the charge for the American Heart Association … Read more
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Jacob Baker – The Story of a HLHS, Bilateral Vocal Cord paralysis, High Functioning Autism, Amazing kiddo!
My son, Jacob Baker, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and a intact atrial septum. He spent his first few years of life having multiple life-saving surgeries. By four months old, Jacob had endured two open-heart surgeries, multiple heart caths, a g-tube surgery and many other procedures. By age 3 he had already had … Read more
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Heart Healthy Hunting – Paul Murphy’s Story of Surviving a Heart Attack on the Trail
As part of the 2024 Heart Healthy Hunting campaign, Paul Murphy, Vice President/General Manager of InMotion US (Blacksburg, VA), shares his story of surviving a heart attack while hunting with his brother. In November 2016, as they always did together, Paul and his brother Jim went out hunting the day after Thanksgiving. While on the … Read more
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Walgreens supports heart and brain health through the American Heart Association’s Life Is Why campaign
Shoppers can support the life-saving work of the American Heart Association Walgreens is once again proud to support the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, through Life Is Why™, a cause marketing campaign benefitting the American Heart Association. Life Is Why inspires consumers to celebrate their … Read more
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American Heart Month Focus: Maternal Health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. , or more simply put, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms. It can pose a threat to women’s heart health during pregnancy and later in life, making it important that women understand how to care for themselves and their … Read more
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Walgreens supports heart and brain health through the American Heart Association’s Life Is Why campaign
Shoppers can support the life-saving work of the American Heart Association Walgreens is proud to support the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, through Life Is Why™, a cause marketing campaign benefitting the American Heart Association. Life Is Why inspires consumers to celebrate their reasons … Read more
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American Heart Association launches “Heart Healthy Hunting” campaign
Updated October 29, 2024 Your American Heart Association is excited to bring back a very special initiative for hunters across the Mountain State. During the month of November, the “Heart Healthy Hunting” campaign will return, bringing life-saving messaging to hunters in order to help prevent cardiac and stroke-related deaths while on the trail. “We’ve learned … Read more
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Ohio Valley Women of Impact: Jill Spangler
As part of our 2021 Ohio Valley Women of Impact campaign, each participant is sharing their story as to why they are participating in the event. This is the second entry from Jill Spangler. I am honored to be a nominee for the Ohio Valley Women of Impact Campaign for the American Heart Association. I … Read more
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Pittsburgh Pastor Receives Top Grant at the First EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Faith-Based
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, announced the top awardees of its first-ever EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Faith-Based hosted by the Eastern States region. The first-place grant of $50,000 was awarded to Pastor Cynthia Wallace of Bible Center Church in the Homewood neighborhood of … Read more
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Five Faith-Based Organizations Named as Finalists in the American Heart Association’s First EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Faith-Based
Over $105,000 in Grants Will be Awarded to Local Community Leaders Faith-based organizations and places of worship have played an important role during the COVID-19 crisis in our country. These organizations and their volunteers and staff have been on the frontline, mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and providing communities with much needed guidance and support. … Read more
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April McLane – A Story of Survival for American Stroke Month
Tom McLane, April’s husband, helps share his wife’s story. April lives fierce every single day and, as you’ll soon learn, she continues to overcome her complications from stroke while maintaining an active, happy life. On June 18, 2014, April had a massive stroke. She was a healthy 37-year-old mother of two who had no … Read more
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Move More Month in West Virginia
April is “Move More Month” and Kevin Pauley, AHA Communications Director, was happy to speak more about it with WOAY TV. Learn more about how to “Live Fierce”, move more and be healthy by checking out this story! For more information visit www.heart.org today! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEcZ9YVehkY
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EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Faith-Based Workshop Highlights Powerful Partnerships, Kicks-Off Grant Application Period
The power of partnerships built on trust, dignity and respect was a key theme during March 17th’s EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™ Faith-Based Workshop Zoom webinar, hosted by the American Heart Association (AHA), Eastern States region. “When you see value in people, it affirms that value that is in you,” said Dr. Abraham Shanklin, Jr. … Read more
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The American Heart Association Launches Funding Initiative Aimed at Supporting Communities through Local Faith Institutions
Faith-based organizations and places of worship have played an important role during the COVID-19 crisis in our country. These organizations and their volunteers and staff have been on the frontline, mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and providing communities with much needed guidance and support. That is why the American Heart Association’s Eastern States Region is … Read more
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Alicia Petry: An Amazing Story of Survival
As a heart survivor, Alicia Petry has become a valued spokeswoman for the American Heart Association’s West Virginia team. Here is her story in time for American Heart Month. Everything was kind of fuzzy. I didn’t recognize the room or any one that was in my sight at that moment. I was confused, but the … Read more
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AHA President: The best way forward requires bridging disciplines, people, places
The challenges facing our world are many – from timely concerns such as the coronavirus pandemic and the renewed emphasis it has placed on the need to dismantle structural racism to the ongoing challenges of treating and beating the top two killers around the globe: heart disease and stroke. As president of the American Heart … Read more
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The AHA Launches 2nd Webinar in a Series Discussing Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color
Long before the pandemic, systemic challenges have contributed to disparities that impede some people from living long, healthy lives. Your ZIP code should not determine how long you live, but it does. Social factors, which are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources, as well as immigration status, occupation, and language preference, have … Read more
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ICYMI: Eastern States Launched a Webinar Series on the Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color
On May 15, the Eastern States Community Impact team launched the first webinar of a series designed to discuss the impact of COVID-19 in communities of color. The webinar was offered to health equity leaders nationwide and was attended by approximately 1,035 participants. During the webinar, implications of COVID-19 from the perspective of economics, education, … Read more
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The AHA Convenes Health Equity Leaders to Discuss Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color
Long before the coronavirus impacted how we live, work, and play, systemic challenges contributed to disparities that impede some people from living long, healthy lives. Your ZIP code should not determine how long you live, but it does. Social factors, which are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources, have been mostly responsible … Read more
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West Virginia hosts region’s first Community Dialogue on the Teen Vaping Epidemic
The West Virginia team for the American Heart Association hosted the state’s first Community Dialogue event, focused on the teen vaping epidemic that has hit our nation. The event brought together panelists from the medical and education sectors as well as community members concerned about the dangers of e-cigarettes and our youth. The event was … Read more
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Eastern States Board Working Group on Rural Health assesses need, plans strategic action
Eastern States Board member Robert Pepper chairs the board’s Working Group on Rural Health, and knows firsthand that inequities in rural communities can be stark. “I’ve seen it, witnessed it through the eyes of those folks who are trying to do the best they can,” said Pepper, Retired SVP and CAO, NGK Sparkplugs U.S.A., Charleston, … Read more
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An Amazing Story of Survival – Alicia Petry
Alicia Petry was a healthy, pregnant 22-year old when she became a member of the “Heart Survivor” club. Never did she imagine she would go into cardiac arrest upon arriving at the hospital. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that when she went in for delivery that she would end up in a … Read more
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A Look at Heart Disease in Appalachia – West Virginia
The American Heart Association recently has focused its attention on rural America. The simple fact is that rural areas, in particular the Appalachian region, have higher incidents of heart disease. This is due to many factors, including access to healthy foods, access to health care and other systemic barriers. This video allows you to take … Read more
