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March 5, 201835th Annual Capital Region Heart Ball Raised $300,000
One million people are predicted to have a heart attack or die from coronary heart disease this year, according to U.S. data in the American Heart Association’s heart disease and stroke statistic report.
Robert “Henna” Hanrahan, left, met Colonie Paramedic Ben Seymour at the Capital Region Heart Ball on Saturday, March 3, at the New York State Museum. When Hanrahan suffered a heart attack, his wife, Marri Aviza, called 911 and began CPR. Seymour was one of the paramedics who responded and helped save Hanrahan’s life. Hanrahan shared his story at the 35th annual Capital Region Heart Ball on Saturday. Photo by Joe Putrock.
The Capital Region is working hard to change those statistics. The Capital Region Heart Ball on Saturday, March 3 at the New York State Museum raised $300,000 for the American Heart Association. More than 375 people attended the annual gala, which was chaired by Dr. Ferdinand Venditti, executive vice president for System Care Delivery and hospital general director of Albany Med; Angelo Calbone, president and CEO of Saratoga Hospital; and Jay Cahalan, president and CEO of Columbia Memorial Health.
The Donald Led Duke Heart Hero Award went to Edward Philbin, M.D., the George E. Pataki Chair of the Division of Cardiology at Albany Med, and Michael Dailey, M.D., Chief of Prehospital and Operational Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine and attending physician at Albany Med, and medical director of the Regional Emergency Management Organization, for their work on the Mission: Lifeline Accelerator II study that will improve treatment times for heart attack patients in the Capital Region.
Robert “Henna” Hanrahan of Latham shared his story of surviving a heart attack during the Heart Ball.
“We are fortunate to have such great support in the Capital Region,” Dr. Venditti said. “The American Heart Association funds $2 million in research in the Capital Region each year, and what we raised at the Heart Ball will come back to us many times over. Almost all of us are touched by heart disease or stroke, and it’s crucial that we continue to work to end these two diseases.”
“Every minute of every day, more lives are being saved that may have been lost to heart attack and stroke. We know this is true across the country, but also true close to home in our own community,” Calbone said. “This progress is a direct result of the good work being done by the American Heart Association, and the money raised to support that good work at our Heart Ball.”
“Columbia Memorial was proud to be part of the Mission: Lifeline work, and we congratulate Drs. Philbin and Dailey on their awards this evening,” Cahalan said. “The positive impact we can have on the health of our communities is tremendous when we work together. The recent integration of CMH and Albany Med cardiology services is another example of how the spirit of cooperation yields meaningful benefits for our community. Together, we now offer the people of Columbia and Greene counties seamless access to a broad range of advanced cardiac services.”
