American Heart Association Virginia
2025 Richmond Heart Ball raises $1.3 million
On April 12, the 2025 Richmond Heart Ball brought together community leaders, volunteers and survivors working to change that statistic. The gala event showcased how research discovery, advocacy, equity and the knowledge to make an impact can change health outcomes in Central Virginia. The $1.3 million raised will help support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association, which has been advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere for more than 100 years.
Virginia changemakers win impact competition
A local pediatric cardiology fellow is the American Heart Association’s® Go Red for Women® Central Virginia 2025 Woman of Impact™ Winner alongside a local Henrico County high school junior as the Association’s Central Virginia 2025 Teen of Impact™ Winner. The high-impact fundraising efforts and work to improve health outcomes in the Central Virginia community earned Jordan Noble, Children’s Hospital of Richmond and Zoe Raeder, Henrico County student, their respective titles.
Virginia Schools Now Required to Implement CERPs
On March 24, 2025, Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin signed SB817 and HB1695 into law. This new legislation requires schools to develop and implement cardiac emergency response plans (CERPs).
Check it Out: Blood Pressure in Richmond and Petersburg Libraries
Have you heard about the latest addition to the shelves at the library? The American Heart Association is adding blood pressure monitoring stations and loaner devices to libraries across the Greater Richmond and Tri-Cities centered on equity, placing resources in areas with the highest prevalence of hypertension and barriers to care.
Hampton Roads Students Selected Amongst Hundreds to Serve as Youth Heart Ambassadors
Fifteen students from coast to coast are joining the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, to champion their peers to live heart healthy. Representing a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, these youth selected as national volunteer Youth Heart Ambassadors for the association’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™ will share how heart disease and stroke have impacted their lives while encouraging others to establish healthy habits to better mental and physical well-being.
Walgreens Supports Heart and Brain Health Through the American Heart Association’s Life Is Why Campaign
This June, over 1000 Walgreens locations across West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, DC and South Carolina will provide shoppers the opportunity to donate in a quick and easy way to support the mission of the American Heart Association. The company is doing so in honor of Brooklyn Graves, the first child of Area Healthcare Manager Area 105 at Walgreens, Kristen Graves. Graves has shared her family’s story to raise awareness of congenital heart defects, the need for continued research funding as well as supportive resources the American Heart Association offers.
2024 Heart of Hampton Roads Co-Chairs Named
As plans are underway for the 2024 Hampton Roads Heart Ball, Cathie Vick, Chief Development & Public Affairs Officer, The Port of Virginia and Ashford Denman, Vice President of Cardiovascular Services, Sentara Health have been named co-chairs of this year’s community-wide campaign. The Heart Ball celebrates progress made through the dedication and passion of all who support the American Heart Association’s Heart of Hampton Roads, a year-round effort aimed at investing in and saving and improving lives in Hampton Roads.
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Events in Your Area
Central Virginia Heart Walk
Location: Innsbrook North Shore Commons Lawn
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025 - 08:00 AM
RegisterHampton Roads Peninsula Heart Walk
Location: Outlook Beach at Fort Monroe
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025 - 08:00 AM
RegisterHampton Roads Southside Heart Walk
Location: Neptune's Park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025 - 08:00 AM
RegisterIn Your Community
The American Heart Association is committed to driving equitable health impact in Virginia 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 Virginia residents while saving and improving countless lives.
Throughout Virginia, 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 Virginia 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:
Rich Reinecke
Co-Managing Partner and Co-Founder
Fahrenheit Advisors
President:
Dr. Anika Hines
Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Policy
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Leadership Development Chair:
Gary Wallace
Managing Partner
Keiter
Sweeny Bansal
Vice President/General Manager
Labcorp
Chip Cunningham
Partner
Williams Mullen
Xiomara Encarnacion
Regional Manager, Outreach & Compliance
Feed More
Dr. Chandra Hayes
Instructional Superintendent
Albemarle County Public Schools
Chandra Hurst
Vice President, Senior Business Consultant
Chase Business Banking
Linda Hines
VA Medicaid Regional President
Humana
Dr. Jennifer Jordan
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Pauley Heart Center
VCU Health System
Bryan Lee
President
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital and Richmond Community Hospital
Dr. John Murray
Superintendent
Chesterfield County Public Schools
Sherri Newman
Associate Vice President of Transplant Services and Mechanical Circulatory Support
VCU Health
Dr. Emily Robbins
Dr. Ashish Sethi
Chief Medical Officer
HCA Johnston-Willis Hospital
Brooks Smith
Managing Partner, Richmond Office
Troutman Pepper
Zack Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Partner MD
Dr. Chris Snyder
Chief of Pediatric Cardiology
Children's Hospital of Richmond
Mark Tenia
Public Relations and Media Manager
Richmond Ambulance Authority
Doug White
Principal
Whitestone Partners, Inc.
Polly White
Chief Operating Officer
Gather Workspaces
Vivian White
CEO
Encompass Health
Paige Wilson
Owner
NaborForce
Chair:
Dr. Ethlyn McQueen-Gibson
Adjunct Associate Nursing Faculty
Norfolk State University
President:
Dr. Dena Krishnan
Director
Cardiac Rehab and Cardio-Oncology
Bon Secours
Leadership Development Chair:
Nick Thomas
Corporate Vice President Business Operations
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.
Chair-Elect:
Ashford Denman
Vice President of Cardiovascular Services
Sentara Health
Dr. Anca Dobrian
Vice-Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Dr. Kia Dunbar-Harris
Vice President, Clinical Care Services
Sentara Health
Reese Jackson
President
CEO
Chesapeake Regional Healthcare
Frankye Myers, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Senior Vice President
Chief Nursing Officer
Riverside Health System
Circle of Red Member
Dr. Olivia Newby
Owner
Executive Director
The Healthy Living Center
Aaron Thompson
Executive Director
CEO
Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center
Contact Us
American Heart Association
By Appointment Only
4217 Park Place Ct.
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Phone: (804) 965-6500
Heart and Stroke News
