Florida

This Stroke Month, if you're a stroke survivor or caregiver, check out our Stroke Connection magazine. It brings information and inspiration right to you in in print or e-zine format. From in-depth information on conditions such as aphasia, central pain, high blood pressure and depression, to tips for daily living from healthcare professionals and other stroke survivors. Stroke Connection keeps you abreast of how to cope, how to reduce your risk of stroke and how to make the most of each day. 

Florida legislators wrapped up the 2013 Legislative Session on Friday, May 3rd just after 7:30 p.m.  And overall, this year was pretty successful for the American Heart Association and you at the State Capitol.  

Because of your emails, calls, letters and more, we’re celebrating the following successes: 

• Newborn Screenings for Heart Defects – The Department of Health received permission and funding to require all birthing facilities to perform pulse oximetry screenings on newborns, in order to detect congenital heart defects. Implementation is likely to occur by the end of the year.
• P.E. Still a High School Graduation Requirement – The House and Senate Education Committees went through a process of re-establishing high school graduation requirements for the state of Florida.  By working with various partners, we were able to ensure P.E. remains a requirement.
• More Accessible Healthy Foods for Kids – Starting next school year, churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and others will be able to provide healthy meals to kids in after school programs thanks to reimbursement under a Federal Department of Agriculture program.  Previously, Florida was unable to participate in the program leaving many kids without healthy foods after school. 
• Stronger Tobacco Education and Use Prevention Program – Lawmakers funded the Tobacco Free Florida program at its appropriate level of $65.6 million.  Stronger performance measures were added this year, requiring those receiving funds to use CDC-tested best practices for improved smoking cessation results.

Moving forward, we’ll need your help with two issues that didn’t make it to the finish line this session.  Those issues are Joint Use, which protects schools from frivolous lawsuits that choose to open up their recreational facilities to organizations and the public, and CPR in Schools, which ensures all students are trained in CPR prior to high school graduation.  Stay tuned for how you can help!

Florida's legislative session begins March 5th. Here are our top 3 issues we'll need your help on:

1. House Bill 81 by Rep. Cary Pigman/Senate Bill 124 by Sen. Jeremy Ring - This bill gained some momentum last week by passing out of its first committee of reference in the Senate. It was heard in the Senate Health Policy Committee and voted on favorably 9 to 1. The bill now moves to the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance and we will be asking the Chair, Sen. David Simmons of Altamonte Springs, to agenda the bill. We are still working with Rep. Ken Roberson of Port Charlotte and Chair of the House Health Quality Subcommittee to persuade him to place the bill on his committee’s agenda.
2. Encourage schools to open up their recreational facilities (Shared Use) - House Bill 525 by Rep. Jake Raburn/Senate Bill 392 by Sen. Jeff Brandes – We are working with the appropriate committee members to get this bill up and moving in the next couple of weeks. This bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously last year and made it to 2nd reading in the Senate. We will be pushing hard to get the bill up and moving as quickly as possible this year.
3. Create the next generation of life savers (CPR in Schools) - House Bill 557 by Rep. Clay Ford/Senate Bill 302 by Sen. Thad Altman – We now have both bills referenced to committee and can begin the process of working with committee members to get the bill on the agenda in both chambers.

Stay tuned for You're the Cure alerts on how you can help!

Today is the 10^th National Wear Red Day. In honor of the day, Go Red for Women asks that women Go Red across the country in new and bold ways. Go Red by wearing red, raising funds for research and standing with women in their fight against their No. 1 killer – heart disease. Let’s turn America Red to shine a spotlight on heart disease in women.

So, how are you going red today? Let us know in the comment section below.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’d like to thank you, as a You’re the Cure advocate, for educating your lawmakers and others on many important heart and stroke issues. Our turkeys are holding signs for key issues that we’re thankful you supported. We did leave one sign blank just for you! Leave a comment below and tell us what your turkey is thankful for this year.

Today, the American Heart Association joined medical professionals and parents to announce efforts to protect the hearts of Florida’s newborns.

State Senator Jeremy Ring of Margate, Florida, will file legislation that would ensure all newborns in Florida receive pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart defects prior to hospital discharge. “Congenital heart defects are the number one killer of infants with birth defects,” said Senator Ring, “Why would we not insist that every newborn in Florida receive this simple test – one many are already receiving?”

Pulse oximetry screening of newborns has been found to dramatically increase the diagnosis of critical congenital heart defects in children. By placing a noninvasive monitor on a baby’s right hand and either foot, doctors can obtain readings that provide early warning signs of low oxygen levels in the baby’s bloodstream, which could indicate the presence of possible heart defects. If heart disease is detected, health professionals can ensure that treatment begins immediately, often before symptoms can become life threatening.

Two nurses performed a demonstration of a pulse oximetry screening on a baby to show how quickly, painlessly and non-invasively this simple test can be used to save the lives of new babies across Florida.

“My daughter was fortunate enough to have her congenital heart defects diagnosed via ultrasound during my pregnancy,” said Alyssa Brown, a Tallahassee mom. “But when prenatal diagnosis is not possible, pulse oximetry is the next best thing. It is cheap, painless, fast and can save lives. I can’t think of one reason this simple screening test should not be done for every Florida newborn.”

The CDC estimates that 11.6 of every ten thousand children born in the United States are born with a critical congenital heart defect. That would equate to 248 infants per year. We cannot thank Senator Ring enough for his swift action and support of this life-saving issue.

Florida public policy agenda 2013

Last week we had the opportunity to vote for decision makers here in Florida and this upcoming Tuesday, November 20 they will be sworn into office. Things have started to pick up around our office and our advocacy efforts have swung into full gear.

Click here to see our public policy agenda and read about the issues we hope the Legislature will address this upcoming year. We’ll need your help to ask decision makers to make heart health a priority, as we work towards our mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Stay tuned for various ways you can help!

Trying to fit physical activity in your daily life or your child’s can be challenging. Between work, family, and other obligations – and let’s be honest, the cost of a gym membership – it can be difficult. But what if you could go to your local public school and run the track or let the kids play on the playground? This is our vision for Florida.

Currently, most schools don’t open up to the public during non-school hours because they’re afraid of being sued, and rightfully so, should an accident occur on their property. We want to protect public schools from this liability, so the public can use the school’s recreational facilities.

You can help make this vision a reality. Simply visit your local public school on a weekend or after school hours and take a picture of a locked playground or track area. Then, send that picture, along with the location, to our Government Relations Director James Mosteller at james.mosteller@heart.org.

We’ll place your photo on our state map and send it to state lawmakers, asking for their support to provide the public with access to public school playgrounds, tracks and gyms.

 With your help, we can offer all Floridians an easy way to get more active and protect their heart health!

Sarah Klena Florida

I never thought that I would be a 31 year-old widow maker heart attack survivor, but I am. I was a healthy teacher, doctoral student and half marathon runner. I loved yoga, healthy eating and staying active. With no warning signs or risk factors, I found myself getting a stent after a 99% blockage in my mid LAD. The doctors told me if it wasn’t for my healthy lifestyle I might not be alive today. If I can have a heart attack, anyone can.

You’re the Cure is important because promoting heart health will help save the lives of our loved ones and possibly ourselves. Education and advocacy give us the ability to empower others with crucial information about heart disease and stroke, providing legislators with fuel to create heart-healthy legislation. Let’s create a movement and spread the message of survival and prevention.