Health Care Reform: What it Means for You

If you’re like most Americans, you have questions about how the new health reform law, the Affordable Care Act, will affect you and your family. The American Heart Association has produced a series of brief videos with questions from real consumers and responses from experts about how the new law will impact patients with heart disease or stroke. Learn more by visiting: http://www.heartsforhealthcare.org/.

Here are some videos that you may find helpful:

"Will health care reform make coverage more affordable for families like mine? How will it work?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1-92P-Uxs&feature=player_embedded

“How will healthcare reform address the needs of patients like me, who have lost their jobs and employer insurance?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sh-rbM1P3g&feature=player_embedded

"Will the new health reform law make prevention and preventive coverage an integral part of health care and place more emphasis on preventing disease, rather than treating it?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sh-rbM1P3g&feature=player_embedded

National Institute of Health Research funding Needs your Support

Senator Bob Casey (PA) is circulating a letter that asks for $35 billion for the National Institutes of Health. This is the same amount requested by the American Heart Association to ensure continued progress in medical research, and Senator Casey’s office has requested our help in getting his fellow Senators to sign onto the letter. You can help by encouraging volunteers to visit Research Saves Lives to send a quick email to their Senators.

Ask your Senators to support $35 billion for the National Institutes for Health. These funds could support medical research leading to new treatments and even cures for heart disease and stroke. Act Today. Link: = http://bit.ly/aDNlI8

Arkansas Approves Funding for Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in All Public Schools

Starting on the right are Lindsey, Tammy and Murry Busby, Chris Winston, Wes Busby, Barbara Kumpe, Government Relations Director for the AHA, Tammy and Bill Winston.



Display of a sampling of the some 11,000 coloring sheets and petitions collected from Students all across Arkansas in support of AEDs and CPR in their schools




American Heart Associations volunteers, staff and legislators came to together on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010, to participate in a very special press event. The event was held to acknowledge the support of our Governor and state Legislators for the funding to place automated external defibrillators on every public school campus statewide.

Early in 2010, three Arkansas students collapsed from heart issues during separate athletic events. Fortunately two students, Chris Winston and Wes Busby, were aided with an AED and survived their cardiac event. Eerily, one of the students who attended the same high school as Antony Hobbs, III fell to the floor on the same basketball court. The AED CPR in Schools Act was named in Hobbs' honor after his death on the basketball court back in 2008. Fortunately, Chris Winston had a happier ending. A nearby AED was used to stabilize his heart and save the student’s life.

These three instances helped refocus attention on the issue, and coupled with the AHA volunteer and staff efforts — including a grassroots movement in schools that generated 10,806 coloring sheets supporting AEDs signed by kids, direct lobbying of legislature AHA champions, recruiting assistance from the Department of Health and numerous media placements — helped get the funding bill passed.

Joining the activities were the families of the two students. Along with the third grade classes of Forrest Park Elementary who participated in National Wear Red back on February 5th.

On March 1, the Arkansas Governor signed into law ACT 270, which provides $200,000 in funds to finally make the Antony Hobbs III Act a reality. Coupled with additional funds from the 2009 Session the state will have $325,000 that will be used to fund AEDs in Arkansas schools. This Legislative victory actually began in 2007, when Arkansas high school student and basketball player Antony Hobbs III collapsed with heart failure during a game and tragically died moments later. Defibrillation may have saved Antony’s life, but there was no AED on campus. Over Arkansas’ last two legislative sessions, the American Heart Association and Antony’s parents have led the way to pass the act requiring an AED on every public school campus and CPR training for school personnel. The Antony Hobbs III Act was signed into law in 2009; however, the funding for the legislation had not yet been appropriated.

National Institutes of Health Fly-In

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Pictured Congressman Vic Snyder, Nicole, Karson, Kevin and Kannon Weitkamp and Dr. James Marsh

Heart and Stroke Survivors Urge Congress to Capitalize on Momentum of Stimulus Bill and Increase Funding for Medical Research
March 10, 2010– A strong investment in heart disease and stroke research is a strong investment for families and the economy. American Heart Association patient advocates and researchers delivered that message to members of Congress during the association’s You’re the Cure on the Hill Fly-In on Wednesday, March 10.

Many heart disease and stroke survivors have benefited from advancements in medical research that continues to bring us closer to a cure. UAMS Chief of Staff, James Marsh, M.D. and Nicole Weitkamp and her son Karson, his brother Kannon and father Kevin from Pocahontas, Arkansas joined some 90 American Heart Association volunteers for the Lobby Day activities. Karson is a congenital heart defect survivor.

Dr. Marsh joined Nicole and Karson, and meet with Congressmen Vic Snyder and Senators Lincoln and Pryor to urge them to appropriate $35 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for FY 2011 to capitalize on the momentum achieved under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Act provided a $10 billion investment to the agency over two years.

“NIH-supported research has led to significant breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of heart disease and stroke. Robust funding increases for the NIH budget in the appropriations bill will help us advance to the next wave of scientific discoveries. Many of these dollars comes back to our own University of Arkansas for Medical Science “, stated Barbara Kumpe, Arkansas Government Relations Director for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Currently, NIH invests only four percent of its budget on heart research and a mere one percent on stroke research. The President’s FY 2011 budget request for NIH cardiovascular research is ten percent below the FY 2010 level, including the Recovery Act funding and 12 percent below the FY 2009 level.

NIH supported research also fosters economic growth and innovation at the state and local levels and worldwide. Each NIH grant generates on average seven jobs. “Medical research has a profound impact on local communities, contributing to job growth and economic development,” said [insert name of researcher].

For more information, visit www.researchsaveslives.org.

Weitkamp Family enjoys Washington DC during National Lobby Day

Governor Signs Bill to Fund Autmated External Defibrillators for Schools in Arkansas

Governor Mike Beebe signed into law HB 1174 that was the bill to fund automated external defibrillators for schools in Arkansas. The bill is now Act 270. The bill provides $200,000 dollars appropriated to the Department of Health to work to secure the defibrillators so schools can acquire them for their specific schools Districts.

Over the last two months there have been at least three incidences where students have gone down at sporting events with some form of sudden cardiac arrest. Two of the students are alive today because of these life saving devices. Unfortunalty one student did not make it. Our heart are with the students family.

We are so proud and thankful to our Governor and state law makers for making this a priority during this first fiscal session of the State General Assembly.
Send your law maker a thank you message TODAY. Go to www.yourethecure.org register as newtorker and you can send them a message with just a click of your computer.

This is a lifesaving day in Arkansas.

Arkansas Legislature Recesses

The Arkansas Legislature held it's first fiscal session, which began on February 8th. They recessed in record time and will return on March 4th to handle any vetoes or clarical errors that might have occoured.

The American Heart Association's efforts to secure funding for automated exteranl defibrillators was successful. The Joint Budget Committee approved an amendment by Representative Everett to fund the AEDs to the tune of $200,000. The bill passed both the House and Senate and will now go to the Governors desk for his signature.

Please let legislators know you support this effort by sending them a message. Go to www.yourethecure.org and register as a You're the Crue member and find the message to your member of the House and Senate regarding the defibrillators for schools in Arkansas.

They need to hear from you, TODAY.

Free Heart Health Message

Think about two people you love who smoke, are overweight, have high blood pressure, diabetes or family history of heart disease. These risk factors may lead to stroke. Now, take 2 minutes to save 2 lives by sending your 2 loved ones special health messages via text, Twitter or other format. Download free health messages and get more information by visiting http://powertoendstroke.org/take2.