AHA and CGI’s Heart Heroes Campaign highlights the call to duty, passion for the military community and advances in cardiovascular care
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Tyson’s Corner, VA – The Greater Washington Region Heart Ball is an elegant, black-tie celebration of life that brings together more than 500 of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia’s most prominent corporate, philanthropists, health care and community leaders for an inspirational evening of dinner, dancing, live entertainment and live and silent auctions. Held on Saturday, February 26, 2011, the Heart Ball also serves to recognize survivors of heart disease and stroke in order to put a face on the diseases responsible for prematurely ending the lives of the vast majority of Americans. Military physicians dedicated toward the advancement of cardiovascular care to active duty service members and their families will also be honored for the second year as part of the Heart Heroes campaign developed by CGI and the American Heart Association.
CGI, the Healing Heart Society partner of the American Heart Association, initiated the Heart Heroes program last year as a “thank you” to our military physicians for their service on the battlefield and the home front while highlighting the role of technology in advancing cardiovascular care. CGI will unveil a photo wall, the “Heart Heroes Gallery,” at the Heart Ball and debut a video tribute that will air the night of the event.
“The challenges these men and women face in treating patients on the battlefield are unique,” said Cheryl Campbell, Senior Vice President, CGI, and board member for the regional American Heart Association. ”They must combine exceptional skill, complicated logistics, and the latest in technology and information management to quickly assess, treat, and stabilize patients. Our Heart Hero honorees are truly at the tip of the spear, delivering the best possible care to their patients wherever they are.”
Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of people in the United States today. In fact more than one in three men and women will die of a cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have also shown that in 2007, CVD was the first listed diagnosis of 2,874,000 females and 3,016,000 males discharged from short-stay hospitals. This has been echoed in hospitals in conflict areas. “In the battlefield, thousands are being evaluated for cardiovascular complaints. In the past they would have to be transported to another forward operating location, such as to Germany, or back here to the United States,” noted Heart Heroes Honoree Dr. Mark Haigney. ”I have seen so many advances during my career which have allowed many of our military personnel to benefit from faster life-saving treatment so they can return more rapidly to their families as well as to duty.”
“At CGI, we are committed to supporting the communities within which we live and work.,”said Campbell. “Our Heart Heroes and the American Heart Association work each day to fight a disease that touches us all – our members, clients, neighbors, and friends.
This year’s Heart Hero honorees are:
Dr. Rupa Dainer –Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, who is currently a Pediatric Anesthesiologist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District. In September, 2009, she was deployed to Afghanistan with the 1st Medical Logistics Group, 1st Medical Battalion, Alpha Company, United States Marine Corps, as an Anesthesiologist as part of the Forward Resuscitative Surgical System.
Dr. Mark Haigney – Major, U.S. Air Force (Retired), a leader in the military cardiovascular care field, he serves as Director of Medicine and Pharmacology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Haigney’s research has addressed important topics such as predicting the onset of life threatening arrhythmias.
Dr. Kevin Woods –Major, U.S. Army, and a graduate of West Point, Dr. Woods is currently the Director of the Anticoagulation Clinic at National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD. He is one of two Army invasive staff cardiologist physicians that currently work out of NNMC. Dr. Woods was deployed in 2009 to Spin Boldak, Afghanistan as a Squadron Surgeon with 8-1 CAV 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team. He was awarded the Bronze Star for exceptionally meritorious service for his duty during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Dr. Erich Wedam – Commander, U.S. Navy and a cardiac electrophysiologist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Wedam was deployed as a Staff Internist/Cardiologist to the Expeditionary Medical Facility at Camp Arifjan, in Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom II from August, 2004 to February, 2005. While there, he was involved in mid-level and specialty medical care for patients sent from the southern half of Iraq, the Persian Gulf and medical evacuations from Afghanistan. He is the recipient of the Navy and the Marine Corp Commendation Medal.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is the largest voluntary health organization fighting heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in communities across America. These diseases devastate millions of Americans of all ages and cause nearly 950,000 deaths each year. To prevent, treat and defeat these diseases, the association funds breakthrough research, educates the public and health professionals, and advocates for healthier communities.
About the Greater Washington Region Heart Ball
The Heart Ball, now in its 13th year, is an elegant, black-tie celebration of life bringing together more than 500 of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia’s most prominent physicians, corporate, health care and community leaders to salute the impact the AHA mission-related activities have had in the Greater Washington Region over the past year. More information can be found at www.DCHeartBall.comor by calling 703-248-1717.
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is one of the largest independent information technology and business process services firms in the world. CGI and its affiliated companies employ approximately 31,000 professionals. CGI provides end-to-end IT and business process services to clients worldwide from offices and centers of excellence in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. As at December 31, CGI’s annualized revenue was approximately C$4.5 billion and its order backlog was approximately C$13.1 billion. CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB) and are included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Index. Website: www.cgi.com.
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