Tennessee

A relentless force for longer, healthier lives in Tennessee

Tennessee

Celebrating 37 Award-Winning Tennessee Hospitals

Dr

Every patient deserves access to high-quality heart and stroke care, regardless of where they live. Each year, the American Heart Association recognizes hospitals across the country – from rural areas to the most populated cities – for consistently following up-to-date, research-based treatment guidelines for cardiovascular disease.

Decreasing Blood Pressure with HCA Healthcare

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure and AFib (atrial fibrillation) are the leading risk factors for stroke. In Middle Tennessee 336,531, or 28.50% of adults aged 18 and older have been told by a doctor that they have high blood pressure or hypertension.

Featured Recipe: Tailgate Chili

Tailgate Chili

Our mouthwatering Tailgate Chili recipe not only satisfies your taste buds but is also heart-healthy! Whether you are cheering on your favorite team at the stadium or hosting a game day gathering at home, our Tailgate Chili recipe is the perfect crowd-pleaser.

Knoxville

Impacting the Greater Knoxville Community

In Knoxville, we are dedicated to the pursuit of longer, healthier lives by fostering a wholesome environment in the places where we live, learn, work, play, pray and health. Addressing challenges related to women’s health, readiness, tobacco & vaping, patient care and healthy living remains at the forefront of our mission. As a united community, we are actively collaborating to improve health outcomes and break socioeconomic barriers across Knoxville. Look at the highlights from just the past year!

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

Middle Tennessee Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Learn More

Knoxville Go Red for Women Luncheon

Location: The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Learn More

In Your Community

The Greater Knoxville American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in the community through four priority areas: Hypertension, Tobacco & Vaping, Nutrition Security, and CPR and AED Awareness

Problem: Hypertension: Over 30% of adults in Knox County have been diagnosed with hypertension

  • Solution: The association is working with free clinics and community-based organizations throughout the Region to Establish blood pressure cuff loaner programs, and education and clinical referrals to at-risk populations.

Problem: Nutrition Insecurity: 1 in 8 people in Knox County live in a food desert. Over 12% of our total population and over 17% of Knox County children are food insecure. 

  • Solution: Knoxville AHA has strategically placed 14 cold storage units at local food pantries and youth-based organizations. As a result, more than 5700 people can access nutritious fruits and vegetables each month.

Problem: CPR/AED Awareness: Counties located in the south with higher proportions of rural areas, Black and Hispanic residents, and those with lower median household incomes all have lower rates of CPR training than other communities.

  • Solution: Knoxville AHA provided Hands-Only CPR demonstrations to over 2000 people and donated 57 CPR anytime Kits reaching over 3700 people in Knox County.

Problem: Tobacco and Vaping: Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.

  • Solution: we are working within schools and communities to teach our next generation about the dangers of smoking and vaping. We are also providing support for those who choose to quit. AHA Advocates helped secure Tobacco 21 policy ensuring longer, quality lives for all Knox County residents

We are fighting for longer lives in Knox County by making the places where we live, learn, work, play, pray, and heal as healthy as they can be. It's no secret that under-resourced communities face great adversity and barriers that impact their heart health and overall well-being. With your support, we can expand our nutrition security, blood pressure management, and anti smoking/vaping efforts so that more of our neighbors have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, health education, and medical care. Together we will tackle these issues head on, creating a healthier Greater Knoxville for all.

Tennessee Lobby Day

On February 22 Tennessee had its first Lobby Day in several years, in partnership with the American College of Cardiology. The day was focused on educating lawmakers on a bill that criminalizes youth vaping. We had Board Members and volunteers from all over Tennessee join at the State Capitol for a full day of lobbying. Thank you to all who participated!

Advocacy

President
Dr. Alison L. Bailey
Centennial Heart at Parkridge

Chair Elect
Dr. Andrea Willis

Chair
Renee Ford
Elliott Davis

President Elect, Leadership Development Chair
Chris Hopkins

Apogee Wealth Partners

Members

Gregg T. Gentry
Erlanger Health System

Corinne Henderson
Henderson + Gardner, PLLC

Dr. Shewanee Howard-Baptiste
AHA Leadership Development Chair,
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Dr. Quincy Jenkins
Chattanooga State Community College

Dr. Mary Lambert
City of Chattanooga

Twila Layne
We R CPR

Dr. Chris LeSar
AHA Immediate Past President,

Vascular Institute of Chattanooga

Dr. Harish Manyam
Erlanger Health System 

Pastor Ernest Reid
Second Missionary Baptist Church

Scott Rowe, PT
Encompass Health

Dr. Vimal Ramjee


President
Dr. Sumeet Sharma
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

Chairperson
Tony Benton
Tennova Healthcare

Members

Andy Beam
Pinnacle Financial Partners 

Brett Foster
Knox County Schools

Eddie Jett
MBI Companies

Luke Johnson
Covenant Health

Charles F. Lomax, Jr.
Knoxville Area Urban League

Ken Parent, Past Chairperson
Pilot Company

Dr. Ayaz Rahman
Covenant Health

Cheryl Smith
CPR Choice

Marsha Spence, PhD, MPH, RDN, LDN
The University of Tennessee

Dr. Brian Wiseman, Past President
The University of Tennessee Medical Center


Katina Beard, MSPH
Matthew Walker Clinic

Eric Evans
Surgery Partners

Lynn Friedrichs
Deloitte

William Haugh, FACHE
LifePoint

Penny Houchens
Gresham Smith

Dr. Veronica Mallett, M.D., MMM
Common Spirit

Ken Misch
MEDHOST

Daniel Muñoz, MD, MPA
Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular Institute 

Pal Narayanan
GEODIS

Tom Ozburn, DSc., FACHE, CMPE
TriStar Centennial

Terika Richardson, FACHE
Ardent

Evelio Rodriguez, MD
Ascension Saint Thomas

Margaret Rush, MD
Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

Fahad Tahir, MAS, MBA, FACHE
Ascension Saint Thomas

Joseph Webb, D.Sc, MSHA, FACHE
Nashville General Hospital

Michael Wiechart
TeamHealth

Herman Williams, MD
HW Consulting

Stephanie Wise
TriStar Division

Mark Yancy, MPH
Nashville Health


President 
Dr. John Jefferies
UT Methodist

Chair
Doug McGowen
Memphis Light Gas & Water  

Dr. Andrei Alexandrov
UTHSC

Jenny Bartlett-Prescott
Church Health

Valerie Bearup
Morris Marketing Group

Andy Davis
Turner Construction Company

Dr. Cassandra Howard
Methodist Germantown Hospital 

Dr. Asish Joshi
University of Memphis

Paaj Kurapati
University of Memphis

Roxanne McGonigal
Caesars Entertainment Corporation 

Angela Moss
First Horizon Bank

Robyn Sharp
International Paper

Jim Sweeney
Path AI Diagnositics

Dr. Michelle Taylor
Shelby Co Health Dept

Manoucheka Thermitus
Regional One Health

Dr. Benjamin “Rush” Waller
UTHSC/Le Bonheur

Brian Yoakum
Evans Petree PC

Marques Young
Edward Jones


Contact Us

Chattanooga

By appointment only:
519 East 4th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403

423-763-4400

Knoxville

By appointment only
4708 Papermill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37909

865-293-5100

Memphis

Mail-Only:
4728 Spottswood Avenue #214
Memphis, TN 38117

901-248-7950

Nashville

By appointment only:
1818 Patterson Street
Nashville, TN 37203

615-340-4100

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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.