Pennsylvania
End-of-Year Philadelphia Impact Report
In Greater Philadelphia, our work is sustainably addressing key issues of increasing nutrition security, removing barriers to CPR and AED training resources, improving hypertension control rates and improving maternal health.
Pittsburgh Executive Steps into Chair Role
Sandra (Sandy) Volpe has assumed a two-year term as chair of the board of directors for the Eastern States region of the American Heart Association. Volpe served as chairperson-elect July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
Capital Region Leaders of Impact Winner
William Oyster has been named the American Heart Association Capital Region 2023 Leaders of Impact winner for their work in driving equitable health in the community. Over the course of seven weeks, Oyster participated in the blind fundraising competition raising a total of $20,100.
York Hospital Surgical Technologist Drives Equitable Health as York Leaders of Impact Winner
Krista Null, a certified surgical technologist at WellSpan Health York Hospital, has been named the American Heart Association York 2023 Leaders of Impact winner for their work in driving equitable health in the community. In the south central Pennsylvania area, life expectancy varies by 22 years which can often be caused by the social determinants of health and the barriers to achieving health equity for all communities – factors that include structural racism and lacking access to quality healthcare.
Wegmans and the American Heart Association Teaming up with Big33 to Save Lives Through CPR
With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside of the hospital occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. CPR, especially if performed immediately, could double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
That is why the American Heart Association, the worldwide leader in resuscitation science and education, and Wegmans are adding lifesavers to the chain of survival by providing Hands-Only CPR education resources in the community through CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports™ Training Kits. These training kits are designed for youth instructors to ensure they and their community know the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR, how to use an AED, and how to help during sports related emergencies. Each kit can train approximately 300 people per year.
Essay Contest Wins 16 Central Pennsylvania Students a Day of Real STEM Education
An essay about making their school heart smart recently earned 16 central Pennsylvania students recognition from the American Heart Association and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and an exclusive STEM education day. The essay contest winners gathered in September at the Children’s Hospital for a full day of hands-on learning experiences, instruction and conversations with Penn State Health physicians and health care professionals. They left with a better understanding of the many paths that can lead to a STEM career and practical skills that they can put to use now.
109 Hospitals in Pennsylvania Recognized for Efforts to Improve Outcomes for Americans with Heart Disease and Stroke
More than 100 hospitals across Pennsylvania are among the 2,600 nationwide that participate in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® initiative to improve outcomes for Americans who experience heart disease or stroke.
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. These health crises require swift and proven treatment to ensure the best outcomes for patients. The American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, sets the standards for high-quality, science-based care and access that all patients deserve.
The “Silent Killer” Must Be Stopped
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease. Nearly half of Americans have it and too many don’t even know! With your help, we can change this.
Your gift today help fund the most promising new medical research, improve care and outcomes for heart and stroke patients in hospitals across the country, and more to help save lives.
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The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in Pennsylvania through five key priority areas: women, COVID-19, 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 Vermont residents while saving and improving countless lives.
Throughout Pennsylvania, we’ve seen our community impact work grow, including efforts around creating avenues for greater access to care, healthy food access and education, sharing Hands-Only CPR kits with clinicians to improve awareness for families, blood pressure screenings and education, and tobacco and e-cigarette education and prevention.
People are counting on us as never before. The American Heart Association, along with our supporters, will drive change, and will be relentless. Thank you for your continued support.
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.
Our efforts in Pennsylvania and its communities are focused on five major policy areas. These are: Tobacco Free, Quality Systems of Care, Healthy Eating, Active Living, and Access to Care.
Chair:
Sarah E. Bouchard, J.D.
Managing Partner
Morgan, Lewis & Brockius LLP
President:
Helene Glassberg, M.D.
Director, Pre-operative Cardiac Clinic
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Penn Medicine
Immediate Past Chair:
Dixie James
President, Central Region
Jefferson Health
Immediate Past President:
Deon W. Vigilance, M.D.
Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic
Stephanie Austin
Philanthropist, Advocate & Cardiac Arrest Survivor
Atif Bostic
Executive Director
Uplift Solutions
Sandra E. Brooks, M.D., MBA
Health Equity Advisor
Bob Cummings
Senior Vice President – Healthcare
LeadSquared
Peter M. DiBattiste, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Prolocor, Inc.
Kate FitzPatrick, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Executive Vice President, Connely Foundation
Chief Nurse Executive Officer, Jefferson Health
Andréa W. Frazier
Founder, Frazier Family Health Equity Fund
Interior Designer, Former Adjunct Professor &
Law School Administrator
Stroke Survivor
Kernika Gupta, MPH, MBA
Director, CEO Initiatives
Independence Blue Cross
Melanie Harris
Chief Information Officer
School District of Philadelphia
Bart Kaericher, MBA
President & Chief Executive Officer – Healthcare Division
Aramark
David A. Kotch, MBA
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
FMC
John J. (Jack) Lynch, III, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer
Main Line Health
Reverend Leroy Miles, Jr., M.Div.
Associate Pastor
ENON Tabernacle Baptist Church
Joseph M. Parente
Principal - National Corporate Services Leader
KPMG LLP
Marcy Feldman Rost
Former Executive Vice President &
Chief Strategy and Communications Officer
Independence Blue Cross
Bindi Shah, M.D., FACC
Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Main Line Health
Medical Officer, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Soma Somasundaram
CTO & President, Products and Customer Success
Infor
Dwayne Wharton, M.Ed.
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor
Just Strategies
Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer
Temple University Health System (TUHS)
Chair:
Leeanna R. McKibben, MSN, RN
Chief of Staff, Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
President:
Johanna Vidal-Phelan, MD
Chief Medical Officer in Quality
UPMC Insurance Division
Leadership Development Chair:
Mike Milarski
Partner & Senior Advisor
Signature Financial Planning
Michael Abriatis
Chief Compliance Officer
PNC Financial Services Group
Janet M Catov PhD MS
Director, Health and Clinical Research
Magee-Womens Research Institute
Michael Chappell, Pharm.D.
VP Pharmacy Operations
Giant Eagle
David Heaton
President and CEO
The Buncher Company
Walter E. McGregor, MD
Director, Cardiac Surgery
Allegheny General Hospital
Maria Ringeisen
VP/DMM Golf Apparel, Footwear and Accessories
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Kenyokee Crowell
Amanda Babst
Brenda Mendizabal, MD, MS
Pediatric Preventative Cardiology, Director
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Justin Pasay
Senior Manager, Strategy and Operations
Deloitte Consulting
Imran Qadeer, MD
President and CEO
Allegheny General Hospital
Monica Ruiz
Executive Director
Casa San Jose
Board Chair:
Nina Ferraro
AHN Behavioral Health
Board President:
Francis Ferdinand, MD, FACS, FACC
UPMC Hamot
Leadership Development Chair:
Maria Continenza
First National Bank
Jeff Bevacqua
Northwest Bank
Eric Brotherson
Erie Federal Credit Union
Maria Comstock
UPMC Hamot
Jeffery Duncan
Machining Concepts
Kelly Hayes, MD
UPMC Hamot
Melanie Henderson
Mercyhurst University
Donna Huckno
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Erie
Theresa Kisiel
UPMC Hamot
Kirk Kneidinger
Hagan Business Machines
Ashley Kuneman
AHN Saint Vincent Hospital
Brian Paganie
First Energy/ Penelec
Deborah Pora
UPMC Hamot
Jospeh Rys
Erie Insurance Group
Elaine Stanton
Friendship Baptist Church
Marguerite Szymanowski
Erie Insurance Group
Alex Whipple
Erie County Department of Health
Chair:
Christian C. Merritt, III
Vice President of Investment Services & Wealth Management
Members 1st Federal Credit Union
President:
Lizaida Morales
Community Benefits Advisor
UPMC Health Plan
Leadership Development Chair:
Lori Renne
Supervisor, Business Development
UPMC CARES Team
Carol Fastrich Aranos
Director of Marketing
425 Consulting Group, LLC
Omair Chaudhary, MD
Pulmonary Physician
WellSpan Health
Steven M. Ettinger, MD
Vice President, Cardiovascular Service Line
Penn State Health
Tanya Haugh
Director of Quality and Risk Management
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of York
Mary Heltzel
Senior Vice President, Investments
Stifel
Brandi Hunter-Davenport
Senior Associate
Triad Strategies
Melissa Kelley
Clinical Practice Manager
OSS Health
Alicia Luciani
Sr. Technical Business Analyst
Capital Blue Cross
Melinda McIntire
Vice President of Operations, Heart & Vascular Service Line
WellSpan Health
Sunil R. Patel, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist
UPMC Pinnacle
Holly Roush, MSN, RN
Vice President, Cardiovascular Service Line
Penn State Health
Jose Serrano, MC
Emergency Physician
UPMC Memorial/UPMC Hanover
Eric Shrader, Ed.D.
Principal, Central Dauphin High School
Central Dauphin School District
Erik Toth
Vice President, Cardiovascular Services
UPMC Pinnacle Heart & Vascular Institute
Mike Walker
Director, Strategic Sourcing
TE Connectivity
Ramin Zand, MD
Neurologist
Penn State Health
Chair:
Elizabeth Melamed
Associate
Barley Snyder
President:
Justin Walzl, DNP, CRNP, MSN
Nurse Practitioner, Cardiology
WellSpan Health
Greer Anderson
Attorney
Long Brightbill Attorneys at Law
Stephanie J. Andreozzi
Vice President of Operations, Primary Care Service Line
WellSpan Health
Ann Bryson
Wealth Advisor
Sageworth Trust Company
Melissa Coomer
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
Bayer Corporation
Steven Damion
Senior Financial Associate
Brookhills Investment Group – RBC Wealth Management
Phil Domencic, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cornwall-Lebanon School District
Rachel Etter
Director of Cardiovascular Services
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital
Alyssa Gailey
Vice President
Tower Marketing
John Georgelis
Senior Vice President of Sales
Weaber Lumber
Nicole Maurer Gray
Executive Director
Community Health Council of Lebanon County
Diane Harlow
Director of Workforce and Education
Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Darlene King
Attorney
Saxton & Stump
David Leggat
Branch Manager
First Citizen’s Community Bank
Allison Leitzel-Williams
President
Leitzel’s Jewelry
Tim Martin
Director, Interventional Cardiology and Radiology
Penn State Health
Scott Reibel, MD
Interventional Cardiologist
UPMC Lititz
Neftali Rivera
Director of Heart and Vascular Services
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Amy Ahnert, MD
Cardiologist
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Melody Bradford
Director
Lehigh Valley Public Media
Nicholas Dejesus
Branch Manager
Planet Home Lending
Lauryn Graves
Operations Manager, U.S. and International Government Relations
Air Products
Louis Hansrote, MD
Medical Director- CHOP Cardiac Center Allentown
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Aiden Henninger
Sales Manager
Lumenis
Johnathan Jones
CEO
Pennsylvania Integrative Clinical Services
Justin Keiper
Funeral Director/Supervisor
Cantelmi Funeral Homes
Eric Miller
Director of Nursing
Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries- Luther Crest
Brian O'Reilly
Sr. Director- Human Resources
Santander Bank
Hanna O'Reilly
Social & Content Manager
Discover Lehigh Valley
Judy Parker
CEO
Encompass Health Hospital- Reading
Jamie Snyder
Assignment Editor
WFMZ-TV
Rosaria Stoops
Senior Development Officer
Community Action of the Lehigh Valley
Margaret Sutherland
Revenue Cycle Educator
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Lindsay Watson
Co-Founder
FIA NYC Employment
Jennifer Wendling
Client Relationship Manager
Penn State Extension
Teresa Wright-Johnson
Retired Public Speaker, Author, Patient Advocate, Consultant
Rocco Zegalia
Director of Sales
TWG Security
Live Fierce City Champions
Contact Us
Pittsburgh
American Heart Association
Four Gateway Center
444 Liberty St. Suite 1300
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone:
(412) 208-3550
Philadelphia
American Heart Association
1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone:
(215) 575-5200
Harrisburg/Lancaster/
Lebanon/York/Central PA
American Heart Association
4250 Crums Hill Road, Suite 100
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone:
(717) 730-1700
Erie (mail-only)
American Heart Association
Attn: Erie
4250 Crums Hill Road, Suite 100
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone:
(717) 730-1700
Lehigh Valley (mail-only)
American Heart Association
Attn: Lehigh Valley
4250 Crums Mill Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone:
(484) 245-6290
Northeast PA (mail-only)
American Heart Association
Attn: Northeast PA
P.O. Box 3049
Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone:
(315) 728-7540