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| American Heart Association/American Stroke Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | American Heart Association/American Stroke Association |
| Abbreviation | AHA/ASA |
| Formation | 1924 |
| Headquarters | Dallas, Texas |
| Leaders | President, CEO |
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is a major nonprofit organization focused on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, linking clinical practice, public policy, and community outreach. It collaborates with hospitals, universities, and professional societies to influence standards of care, emergency response, and prevention strategies across the United States. The organization engages with federal agencies, philanthropic foundations, and corporations to support research, education, and advocacy efforts.
The organization emerged in the early twentieth century amid developments in cardiology at institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, shaped by figures associated with World War I medical advances and the growth of specialty societies like the American College of Cardiology and American Medical Association. Milestones in its history include partnerships with the National Institutes of Health and contributions during periods marked by events like the Polio epidemic and the expansion of emergency medicine rooted in lessons from Vietnam War trauma care. Over decades it established ties to research centers including Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Hospital, UCLA Medical Center, and international bodies such as the World Health Organization and European Society of Cardiology.
The stated mission integrates prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and is operationalized through chapters located in cities like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Philadelphia. Governance involves boards composed of professionals from institutions such as Duke University School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and corporations represented on advisory councils alongside partners like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and foundations such as the Gates Foundation. The organizational structure mirrors models used by entities like American Red Cross and Susan G. Komen, with regional offices coordinating with emergency systems exemplified by Federal Emergency Management Agency and municipal health departments in jurisdictions like Los Angeles County and Cook County.
Signature programs include community CPR training, stroke systems of care, and risk reduction campaigns implemented in collaboration with educational institutions such as Princeton University, University of Michigan, University of Washington, and public health schools like Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Initiatives connect with large-scale campaigns run by organizations such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society, and March of Dimes, and coordinate with emergency medical services influenced by protocols used in New York City Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department. Other initiatives intersect with school-based programs involving districts like Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District, and workplace health partnerships similar to those with IBM or Microsoft.
The association produces clinical guidelines and scientific statements that shape practice in hospitals including Mount Sinai Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Its guideline processes parallel methods used by National Academy of Medicine and draw on trials performed at centers such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital, referencing registries like those maintained by American College of Cardiology and datasets from the Framingham Heart Study. Collaborations have linked to initiatives at National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and international trials involving groups like European Society of Cardiology and World Stroke Organization.
Public education campaigns target issues like salt reduction, smoking cessation, and hypertension control, aligning with efforts by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Lung Association, and Truth Initiative. Advocacy work has engaged with legislative processes in contexts such as hearings before United States Congress, regulatory action at Food and Drug Administration, and policy debates in state capitols like Austin, Texas and Sacramento, California, often coordinating with coalitions including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-backed initiatives and municipal public health agencies.
Funding sources include individual donors, grants from philanthropic organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, corporate sponsorships from companies such as General Electric and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and revenue from scientific conferences and publications comparable to meetings held by American College of Cardiology and European Society of Cardiology. Financial oversight involves audit processes that mirror nonprofit standards invoked by entities like Charity Navigator and regulatory filings submitted to agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service.
The organization has faced scrutiny over corporate relationships and industry funding, echoing debates seen at institutions like Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania regarding conflicts of interest, and has been critiqued in discussions similar to those that involved Sugar Research Foundation and Tobacco industry interactions. Criticism has also emerged around guideline formulation and influence from pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and Merck, leading to calls for transparency from watchdogs akin to ProPublica and policy researchers at Brookings Institution and Kaiser Family Foundation.
Category:Health charities in the United States