News you can use - AHA Updates from Wendy ED Albuquerque

Happy Wednesday!
Now that I am fully moved, celebrating my six month anniversary. Events are over, fiscal year has been put to bed and we are starting a new year. I wanted to take this opportunity to start a regular Albuquerque AHA update. Things have been moving at a hectic pace and I hope these regular updates will keep you informed on what is going on in the world of AHA. I hope to make these timely and not lengthy.

As always I welcome your feedback and if you do not wish to receive these please let me know and we will remove you from the e-mail distribution list.

It’s Official
It is my pleasure to inform you that the Boards of the Heartland, Pacific Mountain and Texas Affiliates have approved the formation of the new South Central Affiliate. The Affiliate is now operational, serving the states of Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. This is really a historical event for the American Heart Association, as this new affiliate is the first to be formed through extensive volunteer and staff collaboration from three Affiliates resulting in the movement of states from other affiliates to form a completely new entity, the American Heart Association, South Central Affiliate. Special thank you to Community Board Members, Tom MacLain, Mike Michalski and Glenn Graham for their efforts during this transition.

Staffing updates:
State Health Alliance Director: Jennifer Witten
I’m pleased to announce that Jennifer Witten is our new State Health Alliance Director for New Mexico. She started Monday, July 16th. Jennifer comes to AHA with a wealth of experience and expertise in healthcare, non-profit management, and program development. She has a strong background in developing collaborative relationships with diverse groups. Most recently, Jennifer served as an Account Manager with PhDx, Inc., while also operating her own consulting firm. Her previous roles include serving as a Program Manager with the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center and working as an Emergency Medical Technician with an ambulance service in Albuquerque. Her educational background includes a Master of Business Administration (with concentration in Human Resource Management) and a Bachelor of Science degree (with specialization in Healthcare Management). She was trained as a Licensed Practical Nurse and once served as the Chair of the Tobacco Free Albuquerque Coalition.

We are fortunate to have Jennifer join our team and I know that she’s eager to meet all the volunteers and partners. Please join me in welcoming her to the AHA!

START! Heart Walk Director: Holly Hlava
Please join me in welcoming Holly Hlava as the START! Heart Walk Director. Holly is no stranger to all of you. Holly has been an incredible volunteer on Go Red and Heart Walk. Holly is an Albuquerque native and received her Bachelor of Science from UNM. Holly was a perfect fit for this position with an extensive background in both the medical and sales fields. She has been an AHA CPR instructor for over 10 yrs. Her medical field experience also includes working for a small BioMedical Research start-up company, the UNMH trauma center as a care provider and CNM’s (formerly TVI’s) Emergency Medical Services and Nursing Assistant Programs. Holly also developed her sales skills in the Direct Sales industry and has experienced wonderful success with her Pampered Chef career.

We are very excited to have Holly as part of our staffing team.

Exciting news for our Coordinator, Valerie Hermanson
Valerie is leaving AHA for an incredible opportunity to teach English in Costa Rica. Her last day will be Thursday, July 26th. Valerie has been an outstanding member of the AHA team and she will be dearly missed.

US News and World Report
Hopefully you've had a chance to see the USNWR ad that came out Monday highlighting our GWTG hospitals. If not, here's a link for you to view it.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3048733
Congratulations to UNM!

Did you know . . .
Volunteering is good for you!

A study released by the Corporation for National and Community Service found a significant between volunteering and good health. The report shows that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease. Want to know more, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/role_impact/performance_research.asp#HBR

Upcoming Health Fair

Hello all! We hope that summer is treating you well!

We will be participating in the City of Albuquerque Employees' Healthy Lifestyles Health Fair, which takes place on Friday, July 20, 2007. It's being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center from 9 am to 4 pm.

We need volunteers for this event, so if you're interested please let Valerie know at valerie.hermanson@heart.org or at 353-5800.

Go Red for Women Committees

Hello!

Are you interested in possibly participating in one of the Go Red for Women Committees?! YES, of course you are! You'll be a very important part in the planning for the 4th annual Go Red for Women Luncheon. We greatly value your input and ideas and that's what makes us so successful! So come on down...

Here are the following committees that we are recruiting volunteers for:

Silent Auction Committee – Procure auction items, package items, write catalog copy to entice prospective purchasers and assist with other volunteers in the silent auction set-up.

Logistics – Manage logistics for the luncheon including: flowers, decorations, menu, guest favors and table seating.

Media & PR – Market the seminars, auction and luncheon. Work closely with AHA communications and event staff to procure media outlets and other marketing opportunities.

Passion – Assist in recruitment of women to be passion donors at the $1,000 level and recruit women to be passion table hostess for $1,000 tables, either at $100/person or host a $1,000 table.

Lifestyle/Educational Messaging – Assist with the planning and the day of event logistics of the educational seminars on the day of event. Includes seminar topics, speakers for the seminars, passion speaker(s) and key note speaker.

Sponsorship – Recruit companies that I/or my organization has a relationship with participate in the luncheon as a corporate sponsor, sponsorship begins at $2,500.

If you are interested in participating in any or all of these committees or have any questions, please let Valerie know via email at valerie.hermanson@heart.org or at 505-353-5800.

Hope to see you there!

Start! Heart Walk!

2008 Start! Heart Walk

START! promotes physical activity and heart-healthy living in an exciting and fun family environment.

Save the date & join your friends and family in this community celebration!

16^th Annual Heart Walk and Stroke Fun Walk

5K (3 miles) non-competitive walk with live entertainment, health screenings,

educational vendor booths and more!

Come celebrate our community’s heart disease and stroke survivors, raise vital funds for education and research and learn how to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

To save lives and lower New Mexicans’ risk of our nation’s and New Mexico’s
No. 1 and No. 3 killers - heart disease and stroke. Funds raised benefit community programs, education and lifesaving research. You can make a difference!

March 29^th 2008 – RAIN or SHINE!

Albuquerque Academy’s Scenic Cross Country Trail

Everyone can participate! Corporate Teams, Family/Neighborhood Teams & Volunteers. We anticipate over 1,000 walkers!

Get involved; START walking. Collect general donations for the American Heart Association. You can also organize a team of walkers with people from your neighborhood, school, company, civic group or family members.

Go Red for Women

2008-Go Red for Women Luncheon

What: The American Heart Association's 4th Annual Go Red for Women Luncheon

When: Friday, February 29, 2008

Where: Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa

Concept: This fundraising and educational conference is designed to create an emotional, informative atmosphere to encourage women in our community to become champions of their own health. The theme incorporates the 360-degrees of a woman’s influence: in the community, at home and at work.

Goals:
- To raise $175,000
- To create a venue of passion and make heart disease relevant to women and reiterating that good heart health is essential.
-Educate and create a call-to-action women’s heart health.

Target Audience: Women in our community who have the ability to make an impact. Women who work, live and volunteer in our community. Women who are driven by a desire to make a difference and are action-oriented…and the men who support them.

Event Chair: Betty Chao, Westech International, Inc.

Upcoming events!

We are participating in a health fair titled Spirit of Women presented by Lovelace Women's Hospital. The event is taking place Saturday, June 23, from 11 am - 2pm, at the Lovelace Women's Hospital, which is located at 4701 Montgomery Blvd. NE (at Jefferson) . If you are interested in volunteering please contact Valerie at Valerie.Hermanson@heart.org or 505-353-5800.

Have a great day!

Go Red for Women Kick Off!

Please join us for the
2008 Go Red for Women
Kick Off Committee Meeting!

Meet the chair for the 2008 Go Red for Women Luncheon
Betty Chao
President and CEO of Westech International, Inc.

When: Thursday, May 17, 2007

4 pm

Where: Artspace 116 @ 116 Central Ave SW, Suite 201
Albuquerque, NM 87102

Please RSVP by May 14, 2007
505-353-5800

Start! Walking at Work Day!

On Start! Walking at Work Day, April 25, we headed downtown to do a live radio remote. We had a wonderful time at Wells Fargo downtown passing out apples and signing people up to start living healthier lives. We were also accompanied by 93.3 KOB-FM, who broadcast live at the site. Special thanks to Vitality, who gave away healthy smoothies.

Wendy Stires collects signed Start! living a healthier life pledge cards
The American Heart Association's booth
The 93.3 Kob-Fm and Vitality crew

Start! Walking At Work Day!

Hello!

To continue on with our successful partnership,The American Heart Association, KKOB FM and Wells Fargo Bank want you to “Start!” walking. Join us for Walk at Work Day on April 25th!

Getting involved is easy! Wear your sneakers to work on Wednesday, April 25^th and participate. This is NOT a fund raising event. All you have to do is lace up your sneakers and get out there and take a brisk walk!

All Albuquerquians – and their employers – are encouraged to rally at their workplaces during the lunch hour to Start! Walking At Work. Walk to Wells Fargo at 200 Lomas and pick up a START! walking pin from the American Heart Association.

Since people spend most of their time at work, finding time for physical activity during the day can be hard. We know that physical inactivity leads to a greater risk for heart disease and stroke. In fact, each year 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack. Cardiovascular disease and stroke continue to be our nation’s No. 1 and 3 killers. More physical activity is one of the things that can help improve these statistics. Studies show that adults may gain as many as two (2) hours of life expectancy for every one (1) hour of regular, vigorous exercise.

In addition to increased life expectancy, regular walking has many proven benefits for an individual’s overall health. Brisk walking for 30 minutes a day can lower both bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and high blood pressure. It can also help individuals who are overweight achieve and maintain weight loss, and reduce their risk of stroke.

Lace up those sneakers and join us!

Wednesday, April 25^th Noon – 1:30 at the

Wells Fargo downtown parking lot, 200 Lomas.

For more information, please call the American Heart Association at 505.353.5800.

Start! Heart Walk Success!

Greetings! Heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated and contributed to the Heart Walk. The event was a complete success and it was the largest Heart Walk the American Heart Association has hosted! We had around 1,000 people! Great work everyone!

We would love to hear what you thought about the Heart Walk. Please send comments to valerie.hermanson@heart.org or call us at 505-353-5800.

Presbyterian Walk Teams
Lovelace Health System Walk Team
Curves Walk Teams
New Mexico Heart Institute Walk Team
Heart Walkers walk the cross country path at the Albuquerque Academy.
Wendy Stires and Valerie Hermanson from the American Heart Association work the registration booth.
Left to Right: Ms. Mid-Central New Mexico, Ashley Sego, Ms. New Mexico Galaxy, Michelle Barry, Mrs. New Mexico, Shannen Woodside and Ms. Rio Rancho, Joan Marie Yazzee-Gallegos grace the Heart Walk with their presence.
Firemen from Albuquerque's Station 15

A Mini pony spices up the walking path

START!

Make a choice to START!

It takes more than the luck of the Irish to make a change to live a heart healthy lifestyle.

Join us Saturday, March 17 at the Albuquerque Academy and be inspired to make a change!

9 am Registration
9:45 am Open Ceremonies
10 am Walk Starts!
11 am Healthy Heart Festival

Bank Day! March 14, 2007! Noon - 5pm

Please note:

- All pending donations MUST be cleared the day before Bank Day
- Pending functionality will be turned off the morning of Bank Day, so that offline checks and cash pledges CANNOT be entered. All pending donations that have no been received by Bank Day will be deleted in the system.
- Checks received after Bank Day will not be matched to pending donations. In order to facilitate the data entry and make the process more efficient, donations received on Bank Day, at the Walk or post Walk will NOT be credited to an individual donor. The entire amount received in a walker envelope will be entered as a lump sum and appear as a total on the team website.
- You may still continue to use the system to send emails to potential donors
- Donors may still donate online via credit card and ACH checks as well as checks.

2201 San Pedro NE, Building 2, Suite 102, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Thanks to all our walkers, donors and volunteers who have accepted the challenge to help fight heart disease and stroke. We cannot achieve our mission without each one of you. Welcome to the Heart Walk Web site! Thanks for participating and donating online. All the tools you need to join the Albuquerque Heart Walk are right here!

For more information please contact
Elizabeth Dominick at (505)353-5800
or via email at elizabeth.dominick@heart.org

Go Red For Women!

Specials thanks to everyone that made our 3rd Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon a SUCCESS!

Left to right the American Heart Association: Erin McDonald Bicknell, Mel Feeley, Elizabeth Dominick, Valerie Hermanson, Catherine Sebold, Wendy Stires

The halls outside the luncheon room were packed!

Lt. Governor Diane Denish speaks at the Go Red for Women Luncheon.

MC Cynthia Izaguirre
Entrance to the event

Thanks again everyone!

Lots of exciting news!

Hello everyone!

Hopefully everyone is doing well and rounding out the end of the month well.

Yesterday morning the Manuel Lujan Agency hosted the Community Board Meeting/CEO breakfast and everyone was surprised to find everything GREEN! The breakfast was to promote START! Heart Walk, which brings me to mention...

If you haven't already signed up for the Heart Walk please do so. It's going to be an incredibly fun and exciting event that you just won't want to miss! If you need help or have any questions what-so-ever I am here to help! Valerie.Hermanson@heart.org or 505-353-5800.

www.heartwalk.kintera.org/albuquerque

AND NOW FOR SOME GO RED FOR WOMEN NEWS STRAIGHT OFF THE PRESS!

• Go Red For Women Live Broadcast with Clear Channel Radio, February 1. Join us as we officially kick off this year’s Go Red For Women campaign with a live radio broadcast on 100.3-FM, The PEAK from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. at Lovelace Women’s Hospital, 4701 Montgomery Blvd. NE. Activities include free blood pressure checks and heart health information, along with fun giveaways.

• Go Red For Women Live Broadcast with Clear Channel Radio February 2. Join us at Wells Fargo Bank, 200 Lomas Blvd NW. as 100.3-FM, The PEAK broadcasts again from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Albuquerque Buildings Go Red, February 1. Several area buildings will be lit in red lights for the night to remind everyone to love their hearts and to observe National Wear Red Day. Lt. Governor Diane Denish will be at Lovelace Medical Center, 5400 Gibson Blvd, Downtown on Thursday February 1, to “flip the switch” and illuminate that building at 6:00 p.m.

Other buildings that will “Go Red” on February 1 include:

-Lovelace Women’s Hospital – 4701 Montgomery Blvd. NE

-Lovelace Westside Hospital – 10501 Golf Course Rd. NW

-Lovelace Rehabilitation Hospital

-505 Elm Street NE (Reception in lobby at.5:30 p.m.)

• National Wear Red Day, February 2. National Wear Day is Friday, February 2, 2007. Millions of Americans will be wearing red to show their support for women and the fight against heart disease. Also, several area employers will be helping their employees raise their awareness about heart disease by promoting Wear Red Day in the workplace.

• New Mexico Legislators Observe “Wear Red Day” on House and Senate Floor, February 2. A proclamation marking the observance of “Wear Red Day” will be announced by Rep. Mimi Stewart in the House and Senator Linda Lopez in the Senate. Legislators in both chambers will be encouraged to wear red. All state legislators will have the opportunity for a free health screenings in the House Lounge, including blood pressure checks and lipid profile from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Assistant Professor Joe Anderson and students from the University New Mexico’s College of Pharmacy will be conducting the screenings. For more information, contact Julia Valdez, Director of Government Affairs, at julia.valdez@heart.org or (505) 466-1321.
  

That's all for now and until next time don't forget to sign up for Heart Walk and keep your eyes peeled for all the Go Red Events!

Happy New Year!

Howdy Everyone!

We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. And especially stayed safe in the big snow storm of 2K6!

Wendy has officially started in the Albuquerque office and we are so thankful and happy to have her here. She is working so hard along with the rest of us to make our upcoming events fabulous!

Speaking of upcoming events...It's time to START! the new year off right by signing up for the Heart Walk! It's super easy to sign up and the Heart Walk is going to be incredibly FUN this year!

www.heartwalk.kintera.org/albuquerque

First… Sign up with your company or friends and family team or as an individual.
Second… Achieve your fundraising goal by sending personalized e-mails to your friends and family asking for their support.
Third… Achieve your fundraising goal by sending personalized e-mails to your friends and family asking for their support.
Fourth… Check for matching gifts to boost your donations!
Finally… Have fun at the Heart Walk while helping to save lives! It's That Simple.

If you are interested in volunteering and participating in committees for Heart Walk don't hesitate! We would love to have you! Call or email Valerie at Valerie.Hermanson@heart.org or call at 505-353-5800 with questions or to find out when the next committee meeting is.

ALSO! Go Red For Women is only 6 weeks away!
Everything for this event is coming together and we're all excited to see the outcome from all the hard work.

That is all for now, but if anyone has any questions, concerns, etc., just let us know! Don't forget to keep checking the blog!

Greetings and Salutations!

Long time no update, but as the old year ends and the new year begins things are going to be quite busy in the office. Go Red For Women, on February 16, 2007, will sneak up on us fast!

We are already working to enter Walk Teams into Kintera, our walk website, so if you are interested in being team captain of a walk team, participating or would like more information please contact Valerie @ 505-353-5800 or valerie.hermanson@heart.org.

While on the topic of Heart Walk, we are always looking for new volunteers to be on the committee teams. If you're interested in being on a committee team that helps plan Heart Walk (because we would love to have you on board!) contact Valerie.

AHA has been invited to participate in a health fair on January 26, 2007, at Bernalillo High School. The event will take place in their gym from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm and over 600 staff are expected to be there. We will have 4 booths (one in each corner of the gym) with information as well as blood pressure checks done by UNM nursing students. We NEED volunteers for this event, so if you would like to participate get in touch with Valerie.

The staff are anxiously and excitingly awaiting the arrival of Wendy, our new Executive Director, who will officially start on January 2. Welcome Wendy!!!

The office will be closed from Monday, December 25, through Monday, January 1. Normal office hours (8 am - 4:30 pm) will resume on January 2.

The Albuquerque AHA staff would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday!

Happy Holidays!!!

Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to the blog for the Albuquerque office of the American Heart Association.

We're hoping to update this blog frequently with information to keep everyone up to date with what is going on in and around our office or other American Heart Association related news.

First order of business...Albuquerque's new Executive Director is Wendy Stires! Wendy is currently the Executive Director in Eugene, OR, but she is very excited to come to Albuquerque. Her first day in the office will be January 2, 2007.

• Also! Everyone should Join the Movement. By joining the Go Red For Women movement, you become part of the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in America. Your involvement can help save lives of mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, grandmothers, best friends, and other women just like you!

Signing up is free and you will also receive a FREE red dress pin.

• Another important area related to Go Red For Women is National Wear Red Day. Everyone (men too!) can support the fight against heart disease in women by wearing red on February 2, 2007— National Wear Red Day. It’s a simple, powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. By joining together with thousands of women, companies and organizations, and cities across America, you’ll help the American Heart association support ongoing research and education about women and heart disease.

If you are interested in signing up for National Red Day please contact Valerie @ 505-353-5800 or @ valerie.hermanson@heart.org.

Well, that is all for now. If anyone has any questions, concerns, etc., let us know! And if not keep checking back with the blog!