Facts and Figures

Curious to learn more about Michigan's CVD prevention funding?  Check out these handy fact sheets:

Learn how mandatory critical congenital heart defect screening for all newborns using pulse oximetry can help save lives. 

Find all of AHA's Policy Position statements on various issues with this "at-a-glance" report entitled the Policy Report.

Learn about the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are helping heart and stroke patients access and afford the quality health care they need.

Check out this great blog post by Inside Schools which features the American Heart Association's report on physical education in NYC schools released earlier this month.  If you haven't already done so, take action today to make sure your Council Member has received a copy of the report!   http://bit.ly/YKCjKi 

Today, the American Heart Association released preliminary results of a survey analysis regarding Physical Education (PE) in all New York City schools.  Every school, in all five boroughs was invited to participate and the American Heart Association secured responses from 272!  More than half of these schools are not in compliance with NY state standards for physical education.  And the American Heart Association maintains that these standards are not strong enough!  While the results are compelling, this is just one step in our goal to improve PE for every student.  You can review the report which is attached here...and to help share the results with City Council Members, be sure to visit our Action Center tab on the You're the Cure website.  It's time we stopped ignoring the 800 lb. gorilla in NYC and get him to slim down!

Please click on the following link to review the report:

https://media.gractions.com/F410DC9E068B98B88EA0B5C54D6885F750D9D0A3/2850366f-07e8-4da8-a7ba-ff6d1b687975.pdf

If you would like to help us on this issue, please comment or email me at robin.vitale@heart.org.

There is so much going on this week in New York City!  It's after midnight, and I'm just now getting to submit this blog post.  Here's why I'm burning the midnight oil...

• On Wednesday morning, the American Stroke Association (yes, that's us!) is supporting a press conference with Council Member Mathieu Eugene as Resolution 982 is posted for a vote by Council.  For those that took action on the alert a few weeks ago, you'll remember that Reso 982 asks Congress to increase funding to the NIH, specifically for stroke research.  Sound good?  Yeah, we thought so too!
• Right after that press conference, we're heading across the street to Council offices to present to the Council Women's Caucus about our Go Red for Women movement and how the past 10 years have changed the landscape when it comes to women fighting their number one killers - cardiovascular diseases and stroke! 
• And as if that all weren't enough for one morning, we next head back across the street to City Hall for yet another media opportunity with the Women's Caucus and Speaker Quinn as Council presents a city proclamation to the American Heart Association in honor of Go Red for Women, National Wear Red Day and American Heart Month!

It's a lot of running back and forth, but it will be so worth it...not only for the awareness building process, but also for the calories burned as we run across Broadway!

But wait...we're not done yet....are you ready for the biggest, most exciting development yet for the American Heart Association in New York City?  Really ready?  I mean, really, really ready??  Well, sorry...you'll have to wait until Thursday!  I can't wait to share with you the results of a really important project...one that will hopefully bring us some much needed headlines about a certain 800 lb. gorilla! 

Rachel wanted me to share MN Department of Health's news release on adult smoking in Minnesota.

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released Friday shows Minnesota as ranking 11th best among all states for adult smoking. The last time the CDC compared states in 2009, Minnesota was in the top ten with a rank of 7th lowest or best.

"This report shows that far too many Minnesotans are still using tobacco products, 11th isn't good enough for Minnesota," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Edward Ehlinger. "The cost of tobacco in terms of lives and about $2.87 billion in annual medical costs is too high. We must reduce this toll on our families and our state and one of the most effective ways to curb youth smoking is to raise the price."

In order to decrease cigarette use, Governor Mark Dayton has proposed a 94 cents-a-pack tax increase, which would bring Minnesota's cigarette tax on a par with Wisconsin. Currently, Minnesota's cigarette excise tax ranks 28th among the states..Read the rest of the news release.

See which Members of Congress put their support in writing by urging Congressional leadership to protect the National Institutes of Health from budget cuts.

Read the news release about the Illinois EMS Alliance, a fast-growing coalition of EMS providers and stakeholders from across the state that support increased resources and smart reforms for EMS.  Formed in November of 2012, the Alliance will work to support action on recommendations made in the Illinois House Task EMS Force Report, and will help legislators chart a sustainable path forward for EMS in Illinois.