Thank You to Go Red for Women Sponsors

Click on the links below and watch vidoe of key sponsors of the American Heart Associaiton's
Go Red for Women Campaign. Thank you to these companies for their support this year.

Arkansas Heart Hospital: http://animoto.com/play/tkRGZYyKBNUqHlitqw0Jiw?autostart=true

Chesapeake: http://animoto.com/play/0zeVII0ZchEXD6jD2KuULQ?autostart=true

Windstream: http://animoto.com/play/Q8AEuZBra1D40SpIENm1OA?autostart=true

Arkansas Volunteers Conduct Thank You Tour

Left to right Wonder Lowe, Paige,Laine & Kristi Pennebaker and Valarie Wade

Pictured left to right Kristi Pennebaker, Senator Steele, Laine and Paige Pennebaker.

Volunteers from the American Heart Association dropped by State Senators Tracy Steele’s office on a Thank You Tour, June 25th. The Tour implemented by volunteer and Central Arkansas Board members Wonder Lowe, Kristi Pennebaker and her two young daughters Laine and Paige, and Valarie Wade was designed to thank state decision makers for their work on behalf of the citizens of Arkansas with regards to heart disease and stroke healthcare.

Senator Tracy Steele was the lead sponsor on the state tobacco tax increase. The revenue from the 56 cent increase is designated to fund a statewide trauma system, community health centers and numerous other healthcare initiatives set forth in Governor Beebe’s healthcare plan for the state. Included in the money is some $300,000 for a statewide stroke registry that will help determine the states needs with regards to stroke treatment and emergency response. Steele was also the lead sponsor on a bill to require all public schools in the state to have on campus an automated external defibrillator ( AED) and school personnel trained in CPR by May 2011.

The Antony Hobbs, III AED CPR Act of 2009, was named in honor of a young basketball player Antony Hobbs, III who died during a Parkview High School Basketball game in January of 2008 due of sudden cardiac arrest. Steele also secured $1 million dollars to help fund the placement and training and the revenue will be generated from the 56 cent tobacco tax..

Steele continues to move heart and stroke legislation through the process to make Arkansas a healthier place to live and work. In the past Steele was the lead sponsor on a bill to address stroke the state’s third leading cause of death and worked to pass the state Clean Indoor air bill that make all public places including restaurants smoke free.

The tour will include state and federal legislators in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Bryant, Conway and Newport between now and July 15th . Watch for other Tour events on this blog spot. If you have questions on any of the legislation addressed call or e-mail Barbara Kumpe, AR Government Relations Director - 501-379-1182 or barbarra.kumpe@heart.org

Years in the Making "FDA to Govern Tobacco" Watch Bill signing Today June 22, 2009

In an historic moment for public health and tobacco control, President Obama at 2 pm today will sign into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the bill to give the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products. The signing ceremony will be held in the White House Rose Garden and is scheduled to be carried live on C-Span 3 and CNN. You can also watch on the web at: http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN_wm.aspx.

Thanks to everyone across the country who has worked so hard to make this victory possible.

Arkansas In Top Ten in CPR Training Week

Arkansas ranks number ten in people trained as of Tuesday, June 9th for National CPR & AED Awarness Week. 5740 individuals across Arkansas were trained in CPR. Volunteers in Community Emergency Cardiac Care Training Centers all across Arkansas participated in this national project. The Association's goal was to train 1 million people in CPR. Numbers are still coming in so the tally is not complete.

Keep watching to see if Arkansas stays in the top ten.