American Heart Association logoAmerican Heart Association

Pennsylvania

Join us on our journey to build a healthier Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Mid-Year Philadelphia Impact Report

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

Sandy Volpe

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

CAP

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.

Join 100 Ways In 100 Days

To celebrate our 100-year anniversary, we have a gift for you! Join our FREE, exclusive program to get an email each week for the next 100 days providing you with valuable health tips on eating better, moving more, and improving overall wellbeing.

Make 2024 your best year yet! Join now.

Woman celebrating while outside walking

Events in Your Area

Philadelphia Heart Ball

Location: National Constitution Center

Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 - 06:30 PM

Register

Greater Susquehanna Valley Heart Walk

Location: The Miller Center

Date: Monday, April 1, 2024 - 08:00 AM

Register

York Heart Ball

Location: The Yorktowne Hotel

Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024 - 06:00 PM

Register

Cambria Somerset Heart Ball

Location: The Willow

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024 - 06:00 PM

Register

Northeast PA Go Red for Women Celebration

Date: Friday, April 26, 2024 - 11:30 AM

Register

Philadelphia Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: The Bellevue Hotel

Date: Friday, May 3, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Register

Pittsburgh Go Red for Women Experience

Location: August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 05:30 PM

Register

Northeast PA Heart Walk

Location: PNC Field

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2024 - 08:00 AM

Register

Blair Go Red for Women Event

Location: Blair County Convention Center

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Register

York Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: Out Door Country Club

Date: Friday, June 14, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Register

Erie Heart Ball

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024 - 06:00 PM

Register

Lancaster/Lebanon Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: Brick Gables

Date: Friday, June 21, 2024 - 11:30 AM

Register

In Your Community

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.

Community

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.

Advocacy

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

We’re calling on everyone everywhere to help us address the continuing threat of heart disease and stroke by helping our communities to Live Fierce! Live Fierce is the American Heart Association’s bold approach to driving equitable health impact in our communities.

Live Fierce

Contact Us

Pittsburgh

American Heart Association
Four Gateway Center
444 Liberty St. Suite 1300
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
By Appointment Only

Philadelphia

American Heart Association
1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19103
By Appointment Only

Harrisburg/Lancaster/
Lebanon/York/Central PA

American Heart Association
4250 Crums Hill Road, Suite 100
Harrisburg, PA 17112
By Appointment Only

Erie (mail-only)

American Heart Association
Attn: Erie
4250 Crums Hill Road, Suite 100
Harrisburg, PA 17112

Lehigh Valley (mail-only)

American Heart Association 
Attn: Lehigh Valley
4250 Crums Mill Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112

Northeast PA (mail-only)

American Heart Association 
Attn: Northeast PA
P.O. Box 3049
Syracuse, NY 13202

Portrait of Asian woman using digital tablet computer at home outdoors

Heart and Stroke News

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