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North Carolina

A relentless force for longer, healthier lives in North Carolina.

North Carolina

North Carolina Medicaid expansion bill signed into law

Medicaid expansion

March 27, 2023, marked an historic day for North Carolina as the Legislature ended a nearly decade-long push for Medicaid expansion. It is also an example of a remarkable bipartisan effort in the Tar Heel state that will ensure hundreds of thousands of residents will now be able to have affordable and adequate healthcare.

As Governor Cooper signed the legislation, organizations across the state celebrated this monumental policy as a game-changer for the health of North Carolinians. The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, is committed to ensuring health care is adequate, accessible, and affordable for everyone living in the United States.

“North Carolina has made the historic decision to expand Medicaid coverage and ensure more families impacted by heart disease, stroke and other serious health conditions have access to health care,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive of the American Heart Association. “Forty states and the District of Columbia have now prioritized the health of their residents by expanding Medicaid, and we continue to urge the remaining states to follow suit so more people can access needed care to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.”

Community-based nutrition initiatives drive better heart health

Community-based nutrition initiatives drive better heart health

Healthy for Life is an evidence-based community nutrition program that empowers people to make healthy food, nutrition, and lifestyle.  Class facilitators lead classes in nutrition and lifestyle changes that support heart health throughout our local communities. Nationally sponsored by Aramark, the Healthy for Life program is one of several nutrition security initiatives locally supported by JELD-WEN.

F.A.S.T. display travels throughout the Triad 

F.A.S.T. display travels throughout the Triad

The Heart of the Triad initiative is focusing on stroke and prevention, and in an effort to increase awareness of the warning signs of stroke, a traveling display of large F.A.S.T. letters are on exhibit throughout Triad businesses and organizations this year.

Lifesaving equipment and training to local church in the Triangle

Wakefield Missionary Baptist Church

The American Heart Association (AHA) in the Triangle area continues to provide Hands-only CPR and AED training to community organizations. The congregation at Wakefield Missionary Baptist Church, led by Reverend Israel Stacker, recently learned the lifesaving skill and added an AED to the campus as a result of an AHA mini-grant the church received. With the funds, the church purchased CPR kits and an outdoor AED.  The next step in their work is to implement a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan.

Give and get benefits!

Make a lifesaving gift today and get exclusive access to the Spring Into Flavor Guide to Healthy Eating as a thank you for helping fight heart disease and stroke.

Jackie, Arrhythmia Survivor with Pacemaker and family

Events in Your Area

Triad Heart Ball

Location: Legacy Stables & Events

Date: Friday, April 21, 2023 - 06:30 PM

Learn More

2023 Triangle CycleNation

Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - 01:23 PM

Register

Charlotte Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: Hilton Charlotte Uptown

Date: Friday, May 12, 2023 - 10:30 AM

Learn More

Triangle Go Red for Women Evening in Red

Location: Raleigh Convention Center

Date: Friday, June 9, 2023 - 04:00 PM

Register

2023 Greater Charlotte CycleNation

Location: SPENGA Charlotte South End

Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2023 - 02:47 PM

Register

Greater Charlotte Heart Walk

Location: First Ward Park

Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023 - 07:30 AM

Register

In Your Community

The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in North Carolina 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 North Carolina citizens while saving and improving countless lives.

Throughout the state of North Carolina, 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.

Advocacy has had a mission-critical role in the Association's work for more than 40 years. 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 American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to affect necessary and sustainable policy, system and environmental changes that help Americans build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies is a multi-agency collaborative in Guilford County focused on maternal health and cardiovascular health for reducing infant mortality, and early childhood development prenatally to age three for increasing school readiness and life success. Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. Eighty percent of brain growth occurs in children in the first three years of life.

The American Heart Association, Every Baby Guilford, March of Dimes, and The Guilford Basics with Ready for School Ready for Life are proud co-recipients of a grant from The Cemala Foundation focused on cardiovascular health and maternal health to reduce infant mortality in Guilford County. Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies is being implemented in up to 13 barbershops and beauty salons with health messages for new and expecting moms and dads to be delivered through trusted voices of barbers and stylists. Mothers will also be able to access health and parenting resources, including blood pressure monitors, scales, book nooks, and more.

Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies aims to address the drivers of infant mortality while empowering mothers of Color in trusted community spaces. Programs such as Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies supports mothers and fathers, and contributes to raising healthy, smart babies.

Participating Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies barbershops & beauty salons:

  • Hot Seat Studio Salon (Lead Barber)
  • United Barbershop (Lead Barber)
  • Glenwood Barr-ber Shop (Lead Barber)
  • Shear Eminence Hair Salon
  • Personal Treasures Salon and Beauty Supply
  • Simple Designs Hair Studio
  • Urban Renaissance By Prestige
  • Legacy Stylez Barbershop
  • Simply Blessed Barber and Beauty
  • Cali Styles Barber and Nail Studio
  • Glam Looks Beauty Bar
  • Tight Cut Barber & Salon

Trusted Spaces, Healthy Babies
Simple Cooking with Heart

Classes in the Triad

The American Heart Association is focusing on nutrition security and nutrition education throughout the Triad. Thanks to Healthy Blue, the Simple Cooking with Heart curriculum is teaching families in our community how to cook and eat healthy on a shoestring budget. Courtesy of The Earl & Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation, the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking with Heart program is working with community-based programs in High Point to provide healthy cooking classes and connect families with food and cooking supplies. Triad community-based programs may request to host a Simple Cooking with Heart series of healthy cooking classes. To learn how you can cook healthy for your family, register to attend a series of free healthy cooking classes.

Please complete this interest form to register for a complimentary Simple Cooking with Heart series of classes or to request to host a series of healthy cooking classes.

For more ideas for healthy recipes you can try at home, visit www.heart.org/recipes.

Simple Cooking Instructor
Simple Cooking Student
Simple Cooking Teacher
Simple Cooking Class

Are you doing your part to keep the Queen City healthy? Healthy Charlotte, a popular coalition of leaders and organizations dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our city, is back in action and we need your help! Learn about the “refresh” of this important initiative and how you can get involved in improving your health and the health of your friends, family and workforce.

Chair
Neal Blinde

Capital One

President
Sidney Fletcher, M.D.

Novant Health

Leadership Development Chair
Nancy Mcnelis

Summit Leadership Partners

Chairman-Elect
Gary Michel

Community Volunteer

President–Elect
Sherry Saxonhouse, M.D.

Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute,
Atrium Health

Board Members

Le Roy Davis

Mike Desmond
Grant Thornton

Jamie Ergle
Cushman & Wakefield

Stacy Gray
CTE

Sanjeev Gulati, M.D.
Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute,
Atrium Health

Shaina Hall
Belk

Karla Jones, M.A., Ed.D.
Queens University of Charlotte

Chuck Munn
Harris Teeter

Jerry A. Saunders, M.D., Ph.D
Amity Medical Group

Niki Curci Scott
Community Volunteer

Raynard Washington, Ph.D.
Mecklenburg County

2022 – 2023 Campaign Chairs

Greater Charlotte Heart Challenge
Dan Soto

Ally Financial

Brian Weisker
Natural Gas Business Unit Duke Energy

Heart Of Charlotte / Heart Ball
Kim & Leon Topalian

Nucor

Greater Charlotte Go Red For Women
Sheila Jordan

Honeywell

Janice Dupre
Lowe’s Corporation, Inc.


Chair
Vern Hawkins

Syngenta North America Crop Protection

President
Cynthia Brown, M.D.

Winston-Salem State University

Development Chair
Jackie Haynes

Retired

Board Members

Sheryl Booth, RT, (R) MHA
Cone Health System

Mariane Carna
Novant Health

Debra Diz, M.D.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist,
Hypertension & Vascular Research

Blairton Hampton
Retired, Century Products

Sandy & Lafayette Jones
SMSI Urban Call Marketing,
SMSI Healthy Living Solutions, Inc.

Corinna Miller
UnitedHealthcare

Wendell Phillip
Fayetteville State University

Denise Price
Forsyth County Government

Iulia Vann, M.D., MPH
Guilford County

2022 – 2023 Campaign Chairs

Heart of the Triad / Triad Heart Ball:
Anita Prendergast

Novant Health Rehabilitation Hospital,
An Affiliate Of Encompass Health

Triad Go Red For Women
Leah Hazelwood

Go-Forth Pest Control


Chair
Terri L. Phillips, M.D.

Merz Aesthetics

President
Manesh Patel, M.D.

Duke Heart

Leadership Development Chair
Kristen Soler

Advance Auto Parts

Board Members

Peter Benton
Worldwide Clinical Trials

Verna Best
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Jason Christie
Triangle Business Journal

Buzz Crosby
Martin Marietta

Stephen Finch
UNC Health Care

Tiffany Gholston
Gholston Consulting Group LLC

Christopher Granger, M.D.
Duke University Medical Center

Corrine Greco
Community Volunteer

Christopher Kelly, M.D.
North Carolina Heart & Vascular

Deana Labriola
Fox Rothschild, LLP

C. Lynn Mason
Broadstep Behavioral Health

Catty Moore
Wake County Public Schools

Bob Myer
Skanska USA Building

Jeff Pfeifer
Lexisnexis

Ruth Gilliam-Phillips
UnitedHealthcare

Anuradha Rao-Patel, M.D.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Of North Carolina

Trevor Upham, M.D.
WakeMed Heart & Vascular

2022-2023 Campaign Chairs

2022 Triangle Heart Challenge Chair
Richard P. Shannon, M.D.

Duke Health

2022 Triangle Hard Hats With Heart Chair
Scott Cooper

Brasfield & Gorrie, Llc

2023 Triangle Heart Ball Chairs
Andrea Agee
Philip Agee

President & Coo Attain Partners

2023 Triangle Hard Hats With Heart Chair
Joy Jones

Adams Electric

2023 Triangle Go Red For Women Chairs
Lisa Hammond

Allscripts

2023 Triangle Heart Challenge Chair
Christine Vannais

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies


Contact Us

Charlotte

Mail-Only 
5001 South Miami Blvd, Suite 300
Durham, NC 27703

(704) 417-5750

Triad

Mail-Only
5001 South Miami Blvd, Suite 300
Durham, NC 27703

(336) 542-4825

Triangle

Mail-Only
5001 South Miami Blvd, Suite 300
Durham, NC 27703

(919) 463-8300

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Heart and Stroke News

Find science-based stories about heart and brain health and inspiring survivor profiles from American Heart Association News.