Established– 1924
About– The association was founded by six cardiologists who were concerned about the lack of heart disease information. At first, the patients that were said to have the disease were considered to be fated and were limited to bed rest. In 1946 the American Legion donated $50,000 to them so that they could develop a rheumatic fever program as well as research it. In 1948 the AHA made its public debut, reorganized and brought in non-medical volunteers with skills in communication, fund raising, business management, public education and community organization so that they could educate the community about the organization. By February of 1949 they had raised over $2.7 million. Efforts to include women and minorities in leadership paid off in the late 1980s when they included efforts to understand the effects of heart disease and strokes on women and minorities. Today the AHA has grown into a national organization with its website providing a digital app that teaches people how to perform CPR.
Why– It’s a non-profit organization within the United States that provides cardiac care to reduce the amount of disabilities and deaths caused by stroke and cardiovascular disease. It provides information on how to perform CPR, warning signs of a stroke and what to do if someone has one, heart disease and the effects of cigarette smoke on society (especially how it effects children). They also provide healthy workouts and eating habits for those who have high blood pressure, high or low cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity.
For more information visit www.heart.org/HEARTORG/