MWA-Mid-West Affiliate - Blog

Michigan Student Athlete Saved by On-Site School AED

2013-05-16T19:38:00Z

There are a growing number of students going into sudden cardiac arrest while participating in athletic activities, making it the leading cause of death in young athletes. For every minute that defribillation is delayed the survival rates drops 7 - 10%. By placing an automated external defbrillators (AEDs) in schools the chance of survival for these young athletes increases dramatically. Just ask Chris Fowler, a Ovid-Elsie High School football player who went into sudden cardiac arrest during football practice last year. Luckily, the Ovid-Elsie high school had an AED and with the quick thinking and action of staff, Chris is able to play sports once again.

Click here to read Chris' story

Striking Out at Stroke, Minnesota's Third Leading Killer

2013-05-13T17:21:00Z

As you probably already know, May is Stroke Month! What better way to celebrate stroke awareness than to take a few minutes and learn about the stroke systems bill we are advocating for in Minnesota.

Every year there are nearly 12,000 hospital admissions in Minnesota due to stroke, and a new effort aims to help more survivors return to a normal life, instead of being permanently disabled.

According to state Representative Nick Zerwas, the Minnesota Acute Stroke System is needed to ensure access and high quality of care to all, especially in rural parts, where the population is older and there are fewer nearby options for treatment.

"We need to make sure that no matter where you are in the state of Minnesota we have this established network so everybody has a chance for interventional life-saving procedures and the opportunity to recover," Zerwas declared.

Read the rest of the story here.

Legislative Success Attributed to Colloboration of Partners

2013-05-10T00:23:00Z

The 2013 North Dakota legislative session was an amazing, policy-packed four months for us. “We” succeeded in saving and improving lives through each and every policy priority in which we engaged: acute heart systems of care, newborn screenings for congenital heart defects, expanding stroke funding, CPR training in schools and Medicaid Expansion. Whew! And what made the difference was the “we” in the process.

For advocacy to be truly effective it should be a conversation with others, and not one-directional. As a result it helps to build relationships with others - in reaching out throughout North Dakota and engaging with organizations, people and groups. It helps to learn more about others - their work and their agendas. Given that North Dakotans are interconnected with so many others, collaborative advocacy helps to successfully navigate the changing external environment and access new opportunities.

The 2013 success of our You’re the Cure network, state advocacy committee and staff team is due to the ability to dive deep with our extended relationships. We demonstrated the knack for engaging with a wide range of personalities and challenges. AHA also demonstrated that we are good teammates and live the values of both our organization and our state.

More often than not, legislators contemplating a key vote are motivated by the work we do and how we do it. The stories we shared, the champions who stepped forward, and the partnerships we valued all added to our amazing success. “Thanks from the Heart” – to all who helped this session.

Illinois Pulse Ox Bill is One Step Closer to becoming a Law

2013-05-09T21:04:22Z

We have exciting news to share from Springfield on HB 2661, the pulse ox bill - last week the bill passage out of the Senate Public Health Committee 9-0! Now the bill moves forward to be voted on by the entire Senate. We need your help to urge your Senator to vote YES and pass this bill successfully out of the Senate. Take action now!

H.B. 2661 would ensure all newborns in Illinois are screened using pulse oximetry for critical congenital heart defects prior to hospital discharge. Nearly one in three infants who die from birth defects has a heart defect, with critical congenital heart defects occurring in roughly 8 out of every 1,000 live births. Ensuring that all newborns are appropriately screened for heart defects before being discharged from the hospital via pulse oximetry is simply the right thing to do.

For more information on this bill or to get involved further in helping to make it law, please contact Anne Simaytis at anne.simaytis@heart.org

May is Stroke Month

2013-05-09T20:52:00Z

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

F - Face Drooping
A - Arm Weakness
S - Speech Difficulty
T - Time to Call 911 if you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms

This public service announcement aims to communicate the importance of recognizing the often subtle signs of a stroke. The PSAs show that body language can communicate a wide range of emotions, but one of the most important things it can tell you is if someone might be having a stroke.

AHA President, Dr. Donna Arnett’s stroke story was published earlier this afternoon in USA Today. Donna’s account of the stroke she suffered while in her 20’s is a powerful reminder of the life-saving work that the AHA/ASA does every day, and especially during American Stroke Month, to fight the devastating impacts of stroke. She is living proof that strokes are beatable and treatable. The article from USA Today can also be viewed online here.

Have you or someone you know suffered a stroke and are looking for some additional support? Please take a minute to check out the Illinois stroke support organization Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other (SSEEO): http://www.sseeo.org/. SSEEO has many great resource for stroke survivors and their families.

Act FAST - May is American Stroke Month

2013-05-09T20:25:00Z

During the month of May, the American Stroke Association works hard to spread awareness of the signs of a stroke. You can share the following information with your audience to help them to spot the signs of a stroke, using FAST:

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

F - Face Drooping
A - Arm Weakness
S - Speech Difficulty
T - Time to Call 911 if you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms

This public service announcement aims to communicate the importance of recognizing the often subtle signs of a stroke. The PSAs show that body language can communicate a wide range of emotions, but one of the most important things it can tell you is if someone might be having a stroke.
AHA President, Dr. Donna Arnett’s stroke story was published earlier this afternoon in USA Today. Donna’s account of the stroke she suffered while in her 20’s is a powerful reminder of the life-saving work that the AHA/ASA does every day, and especially during American Stroke Month, to fight the devastating impacts of stroke. She is living proof that strokes are beatable and treatable. The article from USA Today can also be viewed online here.

Life’s Simple 7 and My Life Check

No matter what day it is, it’s never too late for all of us to make better choices for health. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better. Thanks to the science and research volunteers of the American Heart Association, we have created a simple way for you to know where you stand on the road to good health through seven steps all of us need to live healthy.

Take the “My Life Check” quiz at www.heart.org/mylifecheck to get your own personal heart score and action plan that is customized to your lifestyle.

House Passes Pulse Ox with 88-4 Vote!

2013-05-09T20:17:00Z

Guess What?
The House just passed Pulse Ox with a vote of 88-4! Thank you to everyone for keeping the momentum going! They heard us loud and clear…but even though we are very close to ensuring that all Iowa babies are screened for congenital heart defects, it’s not a done deal yet.

We have 1 MORE STEP!

The Governor must sign the bill! The Pulse Ox legislation was amended onto the Standing Appropriations Bill which will be negotiated in Conference Committee. Pulse Ox language will remain in the bill because the same version passed both chambers successfully. However, since it is an appropriations bill, the Governor will have 30 days after final adjournment to sign the bill and it is subject to line-item veto.

Again, thank you so much for all of the support! We will keep you posted and ask that you continue your advocacy as we now turn our attention to the Governor.

Every Minute Counts. Mission: Lifeline Making an Impact in North Dakota

2013-05-09T19:26:00Z

Through the efforts of the AHA and other stakeholder partners, Mission: Lifeline is having an impact on heart attack victims in North Dakota. Doctors use data from an EKG to get a better picture of what`s going on before they treat the patient. In the past, the EKG was done when the patient got to the emergency room. Now, because of Mission: Lifeline, the EKG can be done in the ambulance and the results sent to the hospital.

Once the information from the EKG is obtained, it is transmitted immediately to a receiving hospital. That vital information is verified by a cardiologist and the emergency department physician for an acute MI or STEMI. Hospital staff can then prepare for the arrival of that patient by ensuring their cath lab is availble and appropriate staff are in place.

Recent KFYR news report outlines the impact that technology is having on heart care in North Dakota. To read more, CLICK HERE.

Share Your Story: Kelly Manz and Chloe

2013-05-09T19:12:00Z

Kelly Manz, Missouri

Chloe's Law, named after Kelly Manz’s daughter, will finally reach the Governor’s desk in 2013!

Kelly has worked long and hard to ensure that all Missouri hospitals will be required to screen newborn babies for congenital heart defects with Pulse Oximetry before they leave the hospital - it’s an easy, painless, fast and live-saving screening.

“When Chloe was born, she passed all of her newborn exams and was considered by all accounts a healthy baby. We would have taken her home 2 days later, but I had a feeling something wasn’t right. When Chloe was only nine hours old, she seemed as if she wasn’t breathing right so I asked the nurses to come in and re-examine her four different times. Each time they reassured me that everything was fine. I was finally able to convince a nurse to take Chloe back to the nursery. One of the first things they did was a pulse oximetry screening and Chloe scored a 65%. Anything under 94% is an indicator of an underlying health concern.

We are lucky that the pulse oximetry screening detected my daughter's rare heart defects shortly after birth and saved her life. It still haunts me to this day – the thought that we would’ve been sent home with Chloe and her four undetected heart defects and who knows what would have happened. I’ve read too much and heard too many personal stories and tragedies to stand back and not try to educate and help other families.”

Chloe inspired the law, but it’s not for her. It’s for all of the heart babies yet to come. For the babies born with CCHD that go undetected through the ultrasounds and the examinations at birth. Chloe’s Law is for them and now awaits the Governor’s signature!

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift

2013-05-09T16:46:00Z

Guest Blogger Kelly Manz describes why having Chloe’s Law finally reach the Governor’s desk is the ultimate Mother’s Day gift!

When I began this journey in 2009, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was on a mission and I jumped in head first! I started with baby steps and read what I could about the Missouri Government. Each year, I learned more and more about the bill process and all the political stuff that goes with it!

So much has changed over the last four years. During my first two attempts with Chloe’s Law, a few major organizations actually fought against me. There were many research studies out there discussing the benefits of Pulse Oximetry Screening, but it hadn’t received the recognition yet as a reliable way to screen for CCHD. Pulse Oximetry Screening will not detect all CHDs, but it will detect the most critical (referred to as CCHD) which, ironically, often go undetected until several days or weeks after birth.

That changed in Fall 2010 when the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius and voted to add Congenital Heart Defects to the newborn screening panel. Receiving federal support was a huge turning point.

It took a few years, but I finally got the support and backing I needed to get this done. Add politics into the mix and well, four years may not be THAT long….(Bill recap: 2010 – HB1604, 2011 - HB838, 2012 - HB1058)

Since I began my fight for Missouri to make pulse oximetry screening mandatory on every newborn baby throughout the State before discharge from the hospital, many other families have since reached out to their House and Senate and have gotten their own Pulse Oximetry Screening Law passed (or an Executive Order has been issued or it has been added to their Newborn Panel as a regulation or rule change, depending on the State). We are now a huge network of families, a movement if you will, fighting for the same cause nationwide! I love hearing updates as each State gets their bill passed (approximately 20 so far!) and there are still States with bills currently in the works for 2013 (approximately 19) and I can’t wait to hear their success stories as well!

Read the rest on Kelly's Blog!

Get Educated - May is American Stroke Month

2013-05-09T14:45:00Z

Did you know that May is American Stroke Month? Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death among adults in the U.S. It kills 128,000 people a year – that’s about one in every 19 deaths. Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. On average, every four minutes, someone dies from stroke.

Calling 9-1-1 gets stroke patients to the hospital fast during a stroke emergency. Yet, according to new research in an American Heart Association journal, more than a third of stroke patients don’t go to the hospital via ambulance. When someone recognizes a stroke and acts fast by calling 9-1-1, the patient has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and improving the outcome.

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T - Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

Being transported to the hospital by ambulance is associated with:

· Early arrival – getting to the hospital within 3-hours of symptom onset to be evaluated for clot busting drugs or potential medical procedures or devices
· Quicker evaluation – getting a brain scan within 25 minutes of hospital arrival
· Faster treatment – receiving clot busting drugs within 60 minutes of arrival

Also, a free mobile app is available to help people to recognize a stroke F.A.S.T. and 9-1-1 may be dialed directly from the app. For more information visit StrokeAssociation.org.

You're the Cure advocates gathered in Madison this week for a successful Wisconsin State Lobby Day!

2013-05-09T14:15:00Z

American Heart Association volunteers from around the state gathered in Madison on May 7th for a day of advocacy. Attendees spent the morning learning the issues then hit the Capitol for meetings with lawmakers to discuss Senate Bill 104 and Assembly Bill 111, legislation that would ensure all newborns in Wisconsin are screened for congenital heart defects prior to hospital discharge. Since May is American Stroke Month, we also educated lawmakers on how to recognize and act if someone is having a stroke.

You can click here to watch a news segment on the event, and be sure to check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AmerHeartWisc to see all the great photos from the day! Thanks to all of our advocates who made the trip to Madison - You're the Cure!

Best Complete Street Policies of 2012 - Northfield, MN in top 10

2013-05-03T14:38:00Z

http://www.envisionmn.org/our-news/

The following is adapted from the Envision Minnesota press release at the web site above:

Northfield, MN took a stand last year for streets that work for all our residents. Now that policy is being recognized by a national coalition of Complete Streets advocates.

The National Complete Streets Coalition, based in Washington, DC, helps towns and cities across the country design streets with all users in mind, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper.

In April 2013, the Coalition released its Top 10 Complete Streets policies of 2012. Number 5 on the list was Northfield’s Complete Streets Policy.

"Northfield’s Complete Streets policy will help make getting around the city safer and more convenient for everyone,” said Lee Helgen, executive director of Envision Minnesota. “It’s an important issue, and this recognition shows we did it right. Everyone who was involved in passing this policy should be very proud today.”

“Community collaboration over 2011 and 2012 created Northfield’s policy,” said Betsey Buckheit, former City Council member. "Then college seniors Ben Hellerstein (Carleton College) and Sean Hayford O’Leary (St. Olaf College) were instrumental in organizing a college-community group which solicited letters of support from local groups including the school district, bike trail supporters, and others to ask the City to develop a policy. The Council appointed a task force of Council members, city staff, and members of the City’s Planning and Environmental Quality Commission to draft the policy which was adopted unanimously by the Council on July 17, 2012."

"Northfield’s Complete Streets policy is one of the best in the country,” said Stefanie Seskin, Deputy Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition. “We want to recognize Northfield’s leadership in this field, and also to show other cities across the country what a great Complete Streets policy looks like. Northfield has done that extremely well.”

The Top 10 Complete Streets policies of 2012 was released on April 8, 2013 as part of the 2012 Complete Streets Policy Analysis. For more information, and to download the report, see: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-2012-analysis

To learn more about Northfield's Complete Streets Policy, see the City's web site at http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=732

New Poll - Majority of Minnesotans Support Raising the Price of Tobacco

2013-05-01T16:47:00Z

A new poll released today by the Raise it for Health coalition shows that 66 percent of Minnesotans support raising the tobacco tax by $1.50 per pack to address Minnesota’s budget deficit, help addicted smokers quit and keep kids from starting to smoke. Read more here.

Then, help us raise the tobacco tax in Minnesota by urging the tax omnibus bill conference committee to support the House proposal of a $1.60 increase in tobacco tax when you take action here.

Indianapolis claims top spot in Complete Streets policies

2013-04-30T18:22:00Z

Thanks to our lobbying and media advocacy efforts-and backed by tremendous support from our grassroots advocates and the Indianapolis board of directors-residents in Indianapolis have what is being hailed as the safest and most walkable community in the country! Indianapolis ranked No. 1 among the 488 communities that have adopted Complete Streets policies, which encourage and provide safe access to destinations for everyone, regardless of age, ability, income, ethnicity or how they travel.

Other Midwest communities ranking in the top 10 are Northfield, MN and Oak Park, IL. Read more here .