New Video: Advocates in Action on Capitol Hill

Nearly 70 heart and stroke advocates from across the country urged lawmakers to fix the broken healthcare system by making sure health reform legislation will help prevent disease and expand access to affordable, quality care for all.



For other American Heart Association Advocacy clips, check out our YouTube channel- http://www.youtube.com/user/AmHeartAdvocacy

100,000 Calls for Health Care Reform

The American Heart Association is joining with other national organizations to launch a massive Day of Action to make sure Congress passes meaningful health care reform by the end of the year.

Our goal: Get 100,000 calls made to Congress TODAY to urge that meaningful health care reform gets passed this year.

Will you make your call right now? We’ve made it easy. Just follow the steps below:

1) Dial this toll-free number: 1-877-854-4327 and press 2 to talk to an operator, who will automatically patch you through to your elected officials.

2) When a staff member answers your call, you can say:

• My name is [Your Name] and I am calling from [Your City and State].


• I stand with the American Heart Association in urging all members of Congress to vote “yes” on meaningful, affordable health care reform this year.


• 80 million Americans are living with heart disease, stroke or other cardiovascular disease today and they need health care reform that ensures that health care is accessible, affordable, and adequate.

Thank you for making this important call today!

PS- If you can't get through to your Members' offices, that just means the Day of Action is working. Simply call back again later... it's never too late to make your voice heard.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month--A Chance to Save Lives

October is many things. It's the month we honor Christopher Columbus, the month we dress up and ask that age old question, "trick or treat" but it is also Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month. So what does that mean? It means we have a chance to raise awareness about a condition that affects approximately 166,000 Americans each year. It is an opportunity to advocate for a simple device and some basic training to make a difference to the 95% of people who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest and do not make it to medical treatment in time.

The Josh Miller HEARTS Act would establish a grant program to help schools purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and provide for training in CPR and AED use. The bill was prompted by the tragic death of a 15-year old high school student who suffered sudden cardiac arrest at school. It recognizes the importance of providing schools with the equipment and training necessary to save the lives of children and adults in the community as part of an overall medical emergency response plan. For every minute that passes without CPR, the chances of survival from SCA decrease by 7-10%. But the good news is that survival rates more than double when CPR and defibrillation can be quickly applied. By providing access to AEDs and proper training, we have an opportunity to make a real difference in someone's life.

Please act now and urge your Senators to co-sponsor the Josh Miller HEARTS Act. It has already passed through the US House of Representatives and now we need the Senate to support and move this important legislation. We can do it with your help! Let's make this October a life-saver!

Great News, We're a Finalist!

You may remember that last year the American Heart Association won PR News' Nonprofit Award for our You're the Cure on the Hill 2008. Well, we just heard some great news--we are a finalist for the 2009 award for our FIT Kids Act Press Event that took place March 19, 2009. We are honored by this recognition and will keep you posted on the outcome.

Though the event was only one day you, the advocates have taken the enthusiasm generated and turned that in to progress. Through your time and dedication we now have 113 co-sponsors to the legislation. We could not do it without you. Thank you and keep up the great work!

Send a Fax for Reform!

Heart disease and stroke can affect people of all ages- and so can the broken health care system. Under our current system, children with severe congenital heart defects sometimes surpass lifetime insurance coverage limits when they are just toddlers, leaving their families struggling to pay for the care they need. Last week, the American Heart Association ran this ad in several of the Capitol Hill publications to help raise awareness about the health care coverage issues patients face- and we need your help to keep that message going into your Members’ offices.

Download and print this ad today and fax it to your legislators- or you can drop off a copy at the district offices closest to you (please note: you can find their contact information by visiting their websites). Include a note letting your legislators know why health care reform matters to you and urge them to vote “yes” for meaningful health care reform THIS year.

Health Care Reform Advocates on the Hill

Healthcare Hostages Dying For Reform

Nearly 70 heart and stroke patients, doctors and volunteers gathered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, September 30 for the American Heart Association’s Congressional Lobby Day Fly-In to push for meaningful healthcare reform. Advocates, young and old, from across the country urged their representatives to fix the broken healthcare system by making sure the legislation will help prevent disease and expand access to affordable, quality care for the insured and uninsured. ABCNews.com spoke with several survivor-advocates and AHA CEO Nancy Brown to learn more about the event and what it’s like living with chronic conditions and covering the

high cost of treatment.

(photo courtesy of the Neary family)

To read the ABCNews.com article, view Healthcare Hostages Dying For Reform at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/heart-patients-dying-health-care-reform/story?id=8701910.