Arkansas

Throughout the summer months, Members of Congress return to their home states for in-district work periods, or recesses, which present an important opportunity for advocates to talk with their Representative and Senators about pressing heart disease and stroke policy issues.  Here are some tips for getting the most out of the summer recesses…

1)      Make a note of when the recesses are scheduled:

2)      Contact the American Heart Association Advocacy staff in your state to let them know you’re interested in helping during the summer recesses.  They will be able to provide you with information on the hot heart and stroke issues we’re urging Congress to act on and recommend ways to connect with your legislators.      

3)      Visit your legislators’ website to sign-up for their e-newsletter and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  These are great ways to know about the events your Members of Congress will be attending or hosting during the various recess periods.  From town hall meetings, to summer office hours, to parades they’ll be marching in, there are many opportunities to chat with your lawmakers about their support for key heart and stroke issues. 

Have you visited with your Members of Congress during recess periods in the past?  Tell us about it in the comments below!

Proactive. That's Kinnie Douglas. As the Program Coordinator for Community Health Education at Nacohdoches Memorial Hospital in Texas, she knows the importance of public health and advocacy- and has become a champion for advancing You're the Cure priorities.

In addition to responding to calls to action and serving on the TX State Advocacy Committee, Kinnie always reaches out to her AHA Advocacy staff partner when she is going to be in Austin, the state capital, to ask what she can do to help. In fact, in January, she made the rounds in the state legislature to introduce herself to new state representatives and share important information about AHA's priority legislative issues, including CPR in schools, pulse oximetry screening for newborns, and Smoke-Free Texas. She came prepared with stories and data from her hometown to help make the case.

Thank you, Kinnie, for your commitment to You're the Cure

Wonder Lowe, longtime volunteer for the American Heart Association was recently appointed by Governor Mike Beebe to serve on the State Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee.  Lowe was sworn in as the official first action for her appointment.  Lowe, a survivor of congestive heart failure and a volunteer for the Association has served as the Chair of the State Advocacy committee represented the AHA at a 2012 White House Briefing, a member of the Health Equity Committee,  former Central AR Heart Association board member and a key volunteer for the American Heart Association.  Lowe will serve as the key volunteer and monitor Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs for the Association.

The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory committee was developed as part of the State’s Initiated Act 1 of 2000.  The Act is the state’s law regarding the Master Tobacco Settlement Dollars.

Take action, comment on blog articles, earn points, gain badges all because You’re the Cure.

Dear Advocates,

I want to welcome you to our new You’re the Cure Community Site and I hope you enjoy it.  This will be your one stop shop for all things Advocacy.  As mentioned above you can:

-take action on recent alerts,

-read “The Pulse” which will serve as a state blog,

-earn points by responding to alerts, commenting on stories, re-tweeting alerts, and contacting your elected officials in a number of ways,

-gain badges for various accomplishments like attending a Lobby Day, being a caregiver or survivor, being a YTC Promoter, being a medical professional, and many other ways. 

Click on your name at the top of the page to view your profile and learn more about our ranks and badges. 

Throughout the year you will be hearing from me and the Government Relations Director in your state.  I hope that we will also be hearing from you. You can get started on earning points by commenting on this and other articles below.

Thanks!

You’re the Cure,

Brian Bowser
Grassroots Director
Advocacy Dept.
American Heart Association, SouthWest Affiliate
10900-B Stonelake Blvd. Ste 320
Austin, TX 78759
Phone: (512) 338-2404
Email: brian.bowser@heart.org

On Wednesday March 21 over 100 students and sponsors from all across the state participated in National Kick Butts Day. The theme for the day was "Under the Radar". After two days of training with the Y.E.S. (Youth Extinguishing Smoking) Team board students made their voice heard at the Capitol.

The American Heart Association’s advocacy volunteers are called You’re the Cure advocates for a reason. On February 24th, 70 outstanding volunteers brought their passion, stories, and expertise to the White House for the Community Leaders Briefing on Cardiovascular Health. Two volunteers Suzy Fehlig from Rogers and Wonder Lowe of Little Rock attended the event representing Arkansas and the SouthWest Affiliate.

This special event was an important opportunity for high level administration officials to hear from heart disease and stroke patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and community health leaders and discuss the role of public policy in building healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The most powerful part of the day was the town hall meeting with John Carson, White House Director of Public Engagement, as advocates spoke-up to share their stories, such as:
Wonder Lowe, a congestive heart failure survivor from Central Arkansas has been active all across the state with her message on heart disease and stroke issues. Lowe is a Central Arkansas American Heart Association Board Member, a current member and past chair of the State Advocacy Committee and currently co-chair of the Health Equity committee and served as chair in past years. She is a member of the Go Red for Women Luncheon Committee and has a Heart Walk Team for the Central Arkansas Walk.

Suzy Fehlig, has a family history of heart disease and is committed to the mission of the Association. Suzy was co-chair of the NW Arkansas Go Red for Women Luncheon which had the largest Circle of Red members in the Nation with 64 members. She and her husband Chuck were Heart Ball Chairs for the Gala event in NW Arkansas and she was on the Sweetheart selection committee.
Other event highlights included:
• An East Wing tour of the White House.• Listening sessions on the Million Hearts Initiative, the Affordable Care Act, National Institutes of Health research, and efforts to reduce health disparities. • Roundtable discussions on clean air policy, childhood obesity and nutrition policy, and tobacco control policy.• A “tweet-up” with advocates and John Carson.
The commitment of our volunteers shined throughout the event as they asked the tough questions and spoke about their local advocacy work. The American Heart Association looks forward to a continued dialogue with the administration as we work to advance heart-healthy and stroke-smart legislation and regulations.
See additional event photos on Facebook.

Wednesday, February 1st volunteers from across Arkansas joined together to kick off the Go Red For Women Survivor Gallery and National Wear Red Day, which was held on Friday February 3rd. Ten ladies who each survived some form of heart disease or a congential heart defect were presented and their Story Boards unveiled. Lauren English, a native Arkansan told her story of survival.

Joining the activities was Lt. Governor Mark Darr, and Representatives Kathy Webb, Ann Clemmer and Senator Linda Chesterfield, who hosted the event. Volunteers from across the state were attended and were led in the activities by Suzy Fehlig of NW Arkansas and Debi Barnes of Central. Barnes and Fehlig are chairs for the respective area Go Red for Women Luncheon’s that raise funds to support heart disease and stroke research.

www.yourethecure.org

A noninvasive pulse oximeter attached to the right hand of Farrah Clark, a newborn at UAMS, ruled out any critical congenital heart defects.
Jan. 20, 2012 The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has begun routine screenings for critical congenital heart defects in newborns and is leading the effort to teach other hospitals the screening method via telehealth.

At no additional cost to patients, UAMS this month began using a painless, noninvasive device that detects the first signs of the most serious heart problems. The device, called a pulse oximeter, is about the size of a Band Aid and is placed on a hand and a foot to measure blood oxygen levels.
Critical congenital heart disease affects 1.8 of 1,000 newborns each year and causes up to 10 percent of infant deaths. UAMS, which delivers about 2,500 babies a year, will see about five newborns a year affected by a critical congenital heart defect as a result of the screening.

Critical congenital heart disease occurs when a structural abnormality causes blood to flow incorrectly through the heart and lungs, leading to decreased oxygen levels in the blood. Some congenital heart diseases can be detected before birth or through physical examination after delivery, but about 30 percent of newborns with a critical congenital heart defect may leave the hospital before being diagnosed.
Using interactive video communication (telehealth) and live video streaming on the Internet, UAMS faculty and Arkansas Children’s Hospital have partnered to teach the screening protocol to the 45 other Arkansas hospitals with labor and delivery units.

“The goal of the UAMS Medical Center Congenital Heart Disease Screening Program is simple, to ensure that infants with critical congenital heart disease are detected before they are discharged from the hospital,” said Robert Morrow, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at UAMS and senior vice president for medical affairs at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The decision to begin the routine screenings was based on research of how to detect congenital heart disease using pulse oximetry. In 2011, a national workgroup of experts, including Morrow, developed a screening protocol based on the latest evidence and expert opinion.
The findings and recommendations from this workgroup were published in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics in November 2011; Strategies for Implementing Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease by Dr. Alex Kemper, et al.

The American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Cardiology also support newborn pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease.
“As a leader in health care and research in Arkansas, we at UAMS have an obligation and a commitment to advocate for universal critical congenital heart disease pulse oximetry screening,” Morrow said. “The Arkansas Legislature has not yet mandated this screening for all newborns, but a group of medical advocates and experts is working to make this a reality for all newborns delivered in Arkansas.”