Thank You, Stevie Nelson, for Giving Your Time and Advocating for a Healthier Tomorrow!

Throughout November, our blog will feature AHA volunteer stories of survival and hope.

We know there are thousands of stories like these - thats why we want to say “Thanks” to all of you for “Giving” your time and sharing your lives with us.

You can’t spell CURE without U! Thank you for all you do to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

YOU’RE THE CURE!!!


Read Stevie Nelson's story below:

Stevie K. Nelson was a healthy 35-year-old, working full-time in the Army Reserve, when he suffered a devastating hemorrhagic stroke. Stevie fought back and today he is one of the most dedicated volunteers raising awareness for Power To End Stroke. He was honored nationally at the Power To End Stroke Awards in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007 by the American Stroke Association for his passion.

Stevie is currently the volunteer stroke service coordinator with Courage Center in Golden Valley, where he is responsible for facilitating groups for stroke survivors, peer mentorship, and educating families.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced in October Stevie’s appointment to the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (MGCDD) to complete a three-year term that expires on Jan. 3, 2011.

As an advocate for You're the Cure, Stevie also does his part to encourage everyone to contact their lawmakers about stroke issues.

We celebrate Stevie’s appointment by the governor and thank him for his service as a beloved volunteer of the American Heart Association.

MDH Health Reform Update: New Reports on Health Care Cost Trends

From the Minnesota Department of Health...

Two new reports from the Health Economics Program at the Minnesota Department of Health present the latest trends in private health insurance premiums and drivers of cost (for 2008) and total health care spending for all Minnesota residents (for 2007). Both reports show a moderating of trends compared to the recent past. At the same time, these reports underscore that over the long term, spending and premium growth remain unsustainable. A third report presents 2007 estimates of the distribution of insurance coverage in Minnesota; it presents a largely unchanged picture.

Key findings about total health care spending (private and public) for Minnesota residents in 2007 include the following:

• In 2007 Minnesota residents spent an estimated $32.5 billion on health care. This is about $6,266 per person, up from $5,966 in 2006.
• Compared to the nation overall, Minnesota spends a smaller but increasing share of its economy on health care (12.9 percent versus 15.3 percent), but the share is increasing in both Minnesota and the nation as a whole.
• In both Minnesota and the U.S. overall, public spending in 2007 grew at a faster rate than private spending, and overall growth was slower than in 2006.
  

As required by the 2008 health reform law, MDH published its first set of official health care spending projections in June 2009. In June 2010, MDH will publish a comparison of actual and projected spending for 2008, along with updated projections.

Links to these three new reports can be found on the Health Economics Program Web site.

For questions, please contact Stefan Gildemeister at (651) 201-3554, or by e-mail at stefan.gildemeister@state.mn.us.

Read more Health Reform announcements.

Thank you, Gene Johnson, for Giving Your Time and Advocating for a Healthier Tomorrow!

Throughout November, our blog will feature AHA volunteer stories of survival and hope.

We know there are thousands of stories like these - thats why we want to say “Thanks” to all of you for “Giving” your time and sharing your lives with us.

You can’t spell CURE without U! Thank you for all you do to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

YOU’RE THE CURE!!!

Read about Gene Johnson's story below:

My experience as a Sudden Cardiac Arrest survivor has been life-changing! I arrested back on 9-11-02 and because of a truly serendipity series of events, I was able to live, and with this second chance at life, I vowed to take this new life in a different direction from my past. The picture of me to the left is at the spot where I was saved!!!

Jill Birnbaum, an AHA staff person, contacted me in March of 2003 to be an AHA Lobbyist that April in Wash.DC. The experiences from that trip... and working with Jill ...inspired me to join and advocate heart issues with the wonderful people and organization of AHA .

I was very impressed with how AHA could get things done! I took every opportunity that came my way to volunteer my time in any capacity that they wanted me to be involved in.

I join Mended Hearts at my local hospital and volunteered to see heart patients pre and post op to support, comfort, and share my surgery/ hospital (quadruple heart by pass) experiences. I'm still doing it as of this date.

I write and visit my state and local politicians to advocate for all heart and stroke AHA goals.

I am still working with Allina Hospitals here in Minnesota on CPR/AED training of High School and College students. This would hopefully carry over to all families giving us a trained population!

I work with Medtronic Foundation thru Grant monies to train various groups in CPR/AED usage and placement.

We have a group of approximately three hundred known SCA Survivors ( Minnesota Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Network) I chair a group of ninety metro SCA survivors to work with local Heart Initiatives (Take Heart Minnesota).

Life is so good! The progress we have made is remarkable yet...so much remains to be done!!!

-Gene Johnson

If you are interested in becoming a part of our advocacy network, You're the Cure, visit www.yourethecure.org and you can join in with Gene in letting our legislators know to make heart issues a national priority!

Thank You, Gene for all you do as an advocate and volunteer - your story is an inspiration!

Thank you, Mark Olson, for Giving Your Time and Advocating for a Healthier Tomorrow!

Throughout November, our blog will feature AHA volunteer stories of survival and hope.

We know there are thousands of stories like these - thats why we want to say “Thanks” to all of you for “Giving” your time and sharing your lives with us.

You can’t spell CURE without U! Thank you for all you do to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

YOU’RE THE CURE!!!

Read about Mark Olson's story below:

The old saying, “Beware the Ides of March” took on a whole new meaning for me on March 14th 2008 when I was hospitalized for a mild heart attack. At the age of 46 I found myself assessing why it happened and what to do next. The professionals at the Minnesota Heart Clinic and Fairview Southdale hospital did a wonderful job of explaining the why and through their awesome rehabilitation program prepared me to live with my new reality.

While involved in this process I did a lot of soul searching, something I expect everyone who has ever been in my position does, and decided that it is important for me to do something to ensure that fewer people experience what I went through. I think often about my niece and nephews and how I can help them to avoid their own “new reality”. So I connected with the American Heart Association Minnesota Chapter to see how I could help. After a couple of discussions with AHA staff about my story and skill set we concluded that the place my volunteer time could be used best was as a member of the State Advocacy Committee. I have been a member of that committee ever since

In Minnesota we are working to reduce risk and treat Minnesota’s number one killer. I encourage you to go to the web site and read about what we're working on in Minnesota. Three key Heart Association issues I find important because of my experience and passion for helping the next generation include.

• Seeing schools in Minnesota provide quality physical education through statewide standards and a graduation requirement. Then our children will graduate knowing how to be active and healthy.

• Supporting an increase in Minnesota’s tobacco tax by $1 to further reduce tobacco use, save lives, and reduce health care costs.

• Supporting policies that provide quality health care for all that is affordable and available when and where people need it. Ensuring health care is provided for the 30,000 low-income Minnesotans who will lose their health care with cuts to General Assistance Medical Care.

If you have your own story to tell or if you have a passion for helping people live healthy lives we need you to volunteer too. The folks at the American Heart Association offices will connect you up with what fits your story and skill set.

Most of all we need you to take action on policy issues through the “You’re the Cure Network”. In my experience our policy makers need and frankly want to hear our stories otherwise they make uninformed decisions. So get involved it will make a difference for generations to come.

Thank you, Mark for sharing your story and advocating for the American Heart Association!

Do you have a story to tell? Send me your story at Melissa.Horn@heart.org and photo and you may be picked to be a feature on our blog.