American Heart Association
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Building a culture of health in New Orleans
We are NOLA. Architecture, streetcars, Mardi Gras, hurricanes, and the bayou. New Orleans is the only city in the United States that was once a capital of not one, not two, but three different nations. We love our culture and our history, but the roots of heart disease and stroke run as deep as our love for jazz and gumbo. Heart disease is our #1 killer. Social determinants of health make New Orleans a tale of two cities. In neighboring zip codes, life expectancy varies by over 25 years. Despite that, our hearts are beating louder than ever to drive lifestyle change. We are one of the South's first to ensure healthy options in public vending machines and cafeterias. Walking paths and comprehensive smoke-free policies make our loved ones healthier. The Burke Cobb High School CPR Act is creating a new generation of lifesavers. Let's keep the hearts of our city thriving and build a healthier New Orleans for all.
Health Measurements
Percent of adults with...
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Our Community
“I support the American Heart Association because it is an organization striving to save lives just like mine. Education is critical to the chain of survival, and I appreciate the strides that the American Heart Association is making to help our community combat the #1 killer in New Orleans.”
–Ken Friend, heart attack survivor, Owner of Friend & Company Fine Jewelers
Heart-Healthy Teaching Gardens
Students learn about planting, caring for, and harvesting a garden. Then they get to cook the fresh produce! Our friends at Boys and Girls Teaching Garden Replant help us replenish the garden with new plants and soil so gardeners can replant fruits and vegetables for the fall harvest.
Managing the Pressure
With North Oaks Health System’s support, we can check, change, and control the blood pressure of those in our community, helping us save more lives from heart disease and stroke.
Blood Pressure
Check. Change. Control.
Stress on your blood vessels from high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other serious health threats. Use our free Check. Change. Control.™ online tool to track your readings and maintain a healthy heart!
Track Your Blood Pressure
For Professionals
Target: BP
The AHA and AMA joined forces with the launch of Target: BP™ to support physicians and care teams. We can track and maintain blood pressure goals for our patients by offering access to the latest research, tools, and resources.
Focus on Quality
When medical professionals apply the most up-to-date evidence-based treatment guidelines, patient outcomes improve. That’s the simple truth behind the drive for continuous quality improvement. Our comprehensive suite of programs can help you advance farther and faster in the quest for ever-better care.
Closing Equity Gaps
EmPOWERED To Serve™ is a movement inspired by our multicultural volunteers around the country who are passionate about driving change through health justice in their communities. These committed ambassadors are impacting gaps in health equity through advocacy, policy, education and social change.
Support Network™
Life is hard, but you're not alone. We're all in this together, right? Learn from locals like you or help others going through a tough time. Explore the chat forums, read survivor stories, seek and receive support. Because it's okay to lean on others who have been there too.
Changing Local Policy
To improve access to healthy foods in public places, Jefferson Parish adopted guidelines that ensure healthy food and beverage choices are available in government buildings and government-owned vending machines.
ADVOCATE FOR A HEALTHIER NEW ORLEANS(link opens in new window)
Funding Local Researchers
Research is a pillar of the American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission. Over the past 10 years, we’ve awarded 54 grants totaling $7.4 million to New Orleans-area researchers in the ongoing quest to understand, improve, and treat cardiovascular disease and stroke. The results will assist doctors, hospitals, and other institutions to save lives in our own backyard and across the world.
Local Research Spotlight
“Men are more likely to suffer a stroke while women are more protected until menopause. After menopause, the protection for women against stroke is lost. Our goal is to determine the mechanisms which provide protection against stroke and find better strategies to protect the brain against stroke in both sexes.”
–Ibolya Rutkai, M.Sc., Ph.D., Tulane University
Visit Professional Heart Daily, a Resource for Clinicians and Scientists
CPR Trainings
Emergencies leave us feeling helpless, but they don’t have to. Take two minutes to learn Hands-Only CPR™(link opens in new window) now. 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. When a person has a cardiac arrest, immediate CPR can double or triple their chance of survival. Prepare to save a life, find a CPR course near you today.
Access to Healthy Foods
Second Harvest - Healthy Food Choices project is working to make healthy food and produce more accessible in south Louisiana. Their educational materials create more visibility of healthy foods and make it easier to recognize heart-healthy options.
Why Cholesterol Matters
You can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Take control of managing your cholesterol levels by making healthy lifestyle choices and following a sound medical treatment plan.
“The American Heart Association plays an important role in our community by shining a light on prevention. In our role with the American Heart Association, we have had a chance to share our heart stories in an effort to empower New Orleans to take ownership of their own risk factors and heart health.”
–Amanda and Kelli Tinney, heart disease-surviving sisters(link opens in new window)
Across the Bayou State, communities are building a healthier infrastructure and tackling inequities for hearts of all ages. The challenges are great, but together our future is greater.
Local Events
New Orleans Heart Walk
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Lasalle Park
Let's get Heartwalking, a movement to move more. Heart Walk is a festival of one million hearts in 300+ communities nationwide beating healthy for good. Join us in New Orleans! Walk in memory of someone you love, or create a team.
Northshore Heart Walk
June 1, 2019
Fontainebleau State Park
New Orleans Go Red For Women Luncheon
March 29, 2019
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
We "Go Red" for our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. Heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women - more than all cancers combined. Let's raise awareness that 80 percent of cardiac events are preventable!
New Orleans Heart Ball
June 15, 2019
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Business, medical, and other community leaders unite to celebrate the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association. Don't miss this unforgettable evening of inspiration, entertainment, and hope as we build a healthier New Orleans!
Get Involved
Email us for more information on givingWhy I Support the AHA
“The work of the American Heart Association universally helps people from all walks of life and economic situations improve their daily lives. It brings me great pleasure to know that my volunteer and financial support efforts with the AHA over the past decade are helping to break the silence about the devastating impact heart disease and stroke is having on our families and our communities.”
–Martin Davis, an American Heart Association donor
Contact Us
Local Leadership
Metro New Orleans Board of Directors
Dr. Kathleen Kennedy
Board of Directors Chair
“As a community leader and educator, I know and understand that that in order to bring change, we have to work together hand-in-hand across many facets of our community,” says Dr. Kathleen Kennedy. “I appreciate the work that the American Heart Association is doing to holistically look at the health of our community and how we can work to improve the health of New Orleans across so many variables.”
Molly Kimball
Board of Directors President
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a Sports and Lifestyle Dietitian, Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics by the American Dietetic Association. Molly often serves as a spokesperson at various events and is featured regularly as a nutritional expert on local and national news stories.
Chair
Dr. Kathleen Kennedy
Professor and Dean College of Pharmacy
Xavier University of Louisiana
President
Molly Kimball
Nutritionist
Ochsner/WGNO
Immediate Past Chair
Valerie Englade
Senior Vice President, Community Affairs
East Jefferson General Hospital
Immediate Past President
Dr. Louis Glade
Partner
Health Clinic of Louisiana
Past Chair
Donna Klein
General Counsel
Peoples Health
Past President
Dr. Robert Matheney
Partner
Heart Clinic of Louisiana
Leadership Development Chair / 2017-2018 Fiscal New Orleans Board of Directors
Barbara Turner Windhorst
Philanthropist
Members
Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich
Medical Director
MHM Urgent Care
Cindy Nuesslein
General Council