American Heart Association Kentucky
2025 Carol Barr STEM Scholarship Recipients Awarded
The 2025 Carol Barr STEM Scholarship recipients are announced. In a luncheon, the five high school students received their award. Since 2021, the American Heart Association in Central & Eastern Kentucky has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to 16 young women pursuing STEM degrees. This year’s awardees received a one-time $10,000 scholarship to use for their post-secondary education.
Local Fire Departments Turn Bystanders into Lifesavers (#LEXSAVESLIVES & #HANDSONLOU)
Both the Lexington and Louisville fire departments have joined forces with the American Heart Association in campaigns to increase bystander Hands-Only CPR rates. Anyone can stop by a fire station in either city and ask to learn Hands-Only CPR. We are already seeing the effects, the #LEXSavesLives campaign just hit a milestone raising bystander performed CPR from 7% in 2023 to 18% as of June 2, 2025.
Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in Kentucky
The American Heart Association in Kentucky is leading a critical initiative to promote awareness of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) across the Commonwealth. Sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Health Plans (KAHP), the trade association representing Medicaid managed care organizations and commercial insurers in the Commonwealth, this campaign aims to substantially improve community safety and readiness by implementing CERPs in public spaces across nine communities over the next three years. Initial efforts are already underway in Paducah, Bowling Green and Owensboro in Western Kentucky, with plans to expand to additional communities in the coming months.
Kentucky heart mom earns national recognition in American Heart Association’s Woman of Impact™ campaign
Sarah Michelle Boes of Louisville has been named the 2025 Woman of Impact winner in Kentuckiana. Sarah not only led the local campaign with passion and purpose but also earned national recognition, placing fourth in the country and being recognized in the Centennial Club for raising more than $100,000. Through her efforts, she raised critical funds and elevated awareness around heart disease, stroke and congenital heart disease (CHD), while improving overall well-being in the community.
Lexington Cardiologist Named American Heart Association® Go Red for Women’s® Central Kentucky Woman of Impact™ Winner
Kelly Waespe, MD Cardiologist at Baptist Health and CPR advocate is the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Central Kentucky Woman of Impact Winner for 2025. Through her leadership and dedication, she won the local campaign by raising vital funds and driving awareness around heart disease and stroke in women—while also promoting overall health and well-being throughout the community.
Mango, Avocado, and Black Bean Salad
This colorful, tropical summertime salad is so super simple and delicious. It's the perfect side dish at your next backyard barbecue.
2025 Kentuckiana Go Red for Women Survivor Models
Meet our 2025 Kentuckiana Go Red for Women Survivor Models! Get to know each of these powerful individuals and their incredible stories on pages 98-107 of The Voice Tribune June publication.
Give Today to QUADRUPLE your Life Saving Impact
Events in Your Area
Kentuckiana Heart Walk
Location: University of Louisville
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025 - 08:00 AM
RegisterIn Your Community
The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in Kentucky through five key priority areas: women, readiness, tobacco and vaping, patients, and healthy living. Equity is always at the center of our work, and it will continue to guide all that we do.
Through our focus on these key impact areas, and with collaboration among local organizations, sponsors, businesses, and others that serve the community, we are working to improve the health and well-being of Kentucky citizens while saving and improving countless lives.
Throughout the state of Kentucky, we’ve seen our community impact work grow, including efforts around creating avenues for greater access to care, expanding healthy food access and education, building a network of first responders through CPR kits in schools, supporting blood pressure screenings and education, and educating on the dangers of tobacco and vaping.
People are counting on us as never before. We at the American Heart Association, along with our supporters, will drive change, and we will be relentless. Thank you for your continued support.
For more than 40 years, Advocacy has had a mission-critical role in the American Heart Association's work. Our legislative and regulatory priorities help to mitigate risk factors and protect survivors in communities across the country. We support the enactment of evidence-based public policies that lead to longer, healthier lives.
Public policy advocacy is an essential strategy used by the Association to affect necessary and sustainable policy, system and environmental changes that help Kentucky citizens build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Our efforts in Kentucky and its communities are focused on the following policy areas: Tobacco and Vaping, Access to Care, Medicaid Expansion, and Hypertension Prevention and Control.
Board Chair
John Walsh
UofL Health - Jewish Hospital
Board President
Dr. Swannie Jett
Park DuValle Community Health Center
Thomas Carver
BKD, LLP
Richie Gimmel
Atlas Machine and Supply
Josh Heird
University of Louisville Athletics
Krista Hensel
UnitedHealth Group
Anne Marie Holas-Dryps
Norton Heart and Vascular Institute
Rob Jay
ScionHealth
Clint Kaho
Baptist Health La Grange
Carrie King
Homepage Realty
Mary Littrell
Central Bank of Kentucky
Katherine Kington North
Kentucky Association of Health Plans
Ebbony Page
Louisville Urban League
Dr. Chirag Patel
WellCare, Centene of Kentucky
Jason Radford
Oldham County Schools
Jaamil Wade
Johnson & Johnson
Dr. Derek Weyhrauch
Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute – Kentucky
Board Chair
Karen Harbin
Commonwealth Credit Union
Board President
Susan Carmical
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Members
Kevin Avent
American Trust Wealth
Christina Booth-Jackson
RJ Corman
Kelly Ball Broadbent
Frost Brown Todd
Lesley Catron
Central Bank
John Cioci
PNC Bank
Billie Dollins
Community Trust Bank
Artie Ford
Whitaker Bank
Dr. Jacqueline Frazer
Lexington Veterans Affairs
Tom Gerrald
Valvoline
Susan Hart
Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital
G.D. Hieronymus
Community Volunteer
Timothy Johnson
United Way of the Bluegrass
Susan Lax
University of Kentucky Athletics
Dr. Rick McClure
UK HealthCare
Carol Russell
Community Volunteer
Dr. Callie Rzasa
UK HealthCare
Tom Stephens
Kentucky Association of Health Plans
Claire Sullivan
Tailor Made Compounding Pharmacy
Kim Thuringer
Lexmark
Dr. Kelly Waespe
Baptist Health Lexington
Chief Jason Wells
Lexington Fire Department
Cliff Wilson
Georgetown Community Hospital
Cecelia Yeary
Baptist Health Lexington
Board President
Evie Alessandrini, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Board Chair
Kevin C. Jones
Community Volunteer
Leadership Development Chair
Tim Steigerwald
Messer Construction
Members
Costa Andreou, MD
The Christ Hospital Health Network
Gary Blank
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Mark A. Caesar
Truist Financial
Mark Carter
Cintas Corporation
Sue Erhart
Great American Insurance Company
Terri Hanlon-Bremer
TriHealth
Deborah Hayes
The Christ Hospital Health Network
Joseph Hricovsky
Huntington Bank
Michelle E. Hudgens
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Nadine Kasparian, PhD
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Colleen Lindholz
Kroger Health
Deepthi Mosali, MD
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
JoAnne Noyes
Noyes Knee Institute
Sam Privitera
Atricure
Sam Privitera
AtriCure
Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Creighton Wright, MD
Community Volunteer
Midwest Board Members
Steve Berke
DP Suresh, MD
Contact Us
Kentuckiana and Western Kentucky Office
By Appointment Only:
9901 Linn Station Rd, Ste. 910
Louisville, KY 40223
Phone: (502) 587-8641
Central and Eastern Kentucky Office
By Appointment Only:
354 Waller Avenue, Suite 110
Lexington, KY 40504
Phone: (859) 317-6880
Greater Cincinnati Office
By Appointment Only:
9825 Kenwood Road, Ste. 104
Blue Ash, OH 45242
Phone: (513) 699-4240
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Heart and Stroke News
