Posts Tagged ‘Congenital Heart Disease’

Bill to Improve Heart Health for Women Reintroduced in the House

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) reintroduced the HEART for Women Act, which aims to improve cardiovascular health of millions of women across the country.

Specifically the bill would:

  • Require the Health & Human Services secretarty to report to Congress on the quality and access to care for women with cardiovascular disease on an annual basis.
  • Require effectiveness  and safety data classified by race, gender and ethnicity on all new experimental drugs and medical devices.
  • Expand funding eligibility to all 50 states for the CDC’s WISEWOMAN screening program

Rep. Capps feels that the HEART for Women Act will be extremely beneficial to millions of women. 

“My legislation … ensur[es] more women have access to screening for heart disease, filling the critical knowledge gaps by ensuring that healthcare professionals are informed about the risks of cardiovascular disease in women, and supporting increased data collection to identify new treatments for women,” said Capps.  

Find out more about this exciting legislation by reading AHA’s official statement.

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State Spotlight! A Warm Reception for Arizona’s Halle Heart Children’s Museum

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

The impressive renovation to the Halle Heart Children’s Museum, the only cardiovascular health museum for children in the country, premiered with an unforgettable Arizona You’re the Cure legislative reception on Tuesday, February 22nd.

Attendees included more than 100 advocates, volunteers, and public officials, including Arizona House of Representatives Minority Whip Dr. Matt Heinz, Representative Jeff Dial, and House Health and Human Services Chair Cecil Ash, who is also the sponsor of House Bill 2157, Stroke Systems of Care.
During the reception program, attendees had the opportunity to hear from stroke survivor Maria Tapia, Phoenix Board of Directors President Dr. John Schaller, and Heart Ball Chair Julie Prusak, who were all able to stress the importance of the AHA’s mission, highlight current initiatives, and present the AHA’s legislative priorities for the year.
The reception also led to an outstanding opportunity. “Representative Dial was so impressed with the museum, the mission of the AHA, and our priorities that on Thursday, February 24, he invited staff and volunteers to the Arizona House of Representatives so he could recognize us from the floor,” says Tim Vaske, Director of Government Affairs in Arizona.
The successful legislative reception foreshadows the future achievements for the AHA and the Halle Heart Children’s Museum. The museum, now open to the general public and for guided tours, is a unique, fun, and educational part of the Tempe community.
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News from the Hill: Staffers Learn about Congenital Heart Disease

Friday, February 26th, 2010

On Wednesday, February 24, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill on congenital heart disease (CHD). The event helped to raise awareness about the country’s most common birth defect and educate the audience of congressional staff on the need to look at ways to improve access to care and advance research for CHD patients.

Though heart disease is often perceived as an adult condition, CHD exacts an enormous toll on children. Each year, CHD kills 1,600 infants before their first birthdays, making it the No. 1 killer of children born with birth defects. The good news is that advances in medical research, technology and treatment mean that today most patients live to adulthood however, these adult survivors face an entirely new set of challenges.

Dr. Gerard Martin, Pediatric Cardiologist and Senior Vice President at National Children’s Medical Center, joined two You’re the Cure advocates, Jodi Lemacks, a caregiver to her son Joshua, and Lauren Gray, an adult CHD survivor, to discuss the unique challenges of living with congenital heart disease and the need for changes to address these challenges.

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American Heart Association Congenital Heart Disease Congressional Briefing

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

On February 24th, the American Heart Association joined with the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition and the American College of Cardiology to provide a briefing on congenital heart disease. Gerard Martin, MD, pediatric cardiologist and Senior Vice President for the National Children’s Medical Center, Jodi Lemacks, Mended Little Hearts National Program Director and mother of a child with congenital heart disease, and congenital heart disease survivor Lauren Gray spoke at the briefing. Dr. Martin described the devastating impact of this disease on children and families and reiterated the need for more research. Lemacks detailed her family’s struggle with the health insurance system, and Gray spoke about her challenges living with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) as an adult. CHD remains the top birth defect and killer of infants in the U.S.

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