Heart Association Has New Board Members

PURCHASE – The American Heart Association (AHA) announced local leaders serving on its Westchester County Board of Directors. Leading the volunteer board are Board Chairperson, Virginia Kuper, Senior Vice President of Key Bank, and Board President, Icilma V. Fergus, MD, FACC, Associate Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

“We are so grateful to have the support of so many exceptional leaders from the local health and business communities. They will help the American Heart Association to achieve our mission of building healthier lives and a healthier community in Westchester County,” said Jennifer Miller, AHA Senior Regional Director in Westchester.

Kuper and Fergus will serve three-year terms. AHA Westchester County board members include: Dr. Sherlita Amler, Commissioner of Health, Westchester County Government; Daniel Blum, President and CEO of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center; Dr. Carolin Dohl, Associate Director, Stroke Rehabilitation, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital; Dr. Avi Fischer, Divisional Vice President & Medical Director, Abbott; Michael Gewitz, MD, William Russell McCurdy Physician-in-Chief, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital; Joseph Giamelli, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital; Damara Gutnick, MD, Medical Director of Montefiore Hudson Valley Collaborative; Merin Joseph, WESTMED Exec. Vice Pres. & Chief Information Officer with Practice Partners; Howard Klein, CPA, MS, Partner at Citrin Cooperman; Dr. Sophia McIntyre, Chief Medical Officer Hudson River Healthcare, Inc.; Donna Montalto, Chief of Staff, CareMount Medical; Michael Prutting, Vice President Human Resources, IT & Travel, FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation; Stephanie Weston, Vice President, Retail Market Manager, The Westchester Bank; Dr. Daniel Zedeker, DDS Office, Private Practice; and N. Theodore Zink, Jr., Financial Professional Associate, The Prudential Insurance Company of America.

Board members will lead American Heart Association health initiatives and support development priorities to drive AHA health goals in the Westchester Region. The Westchester Heart Walk is set for Saturday, September 29th at Kensico Dam in Valhalla. To register, visit www.westchesterheartwalk.org.

The AHA’s impact goal is, by 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent. The Board’s newly formed Community Action Committee will focus their efforts on local health issues like healthy food access, food insecurity, and advocacy priorities in the market. AHA advocated for Tobacco 21 legislation signed into law in Westchester in June, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.

For more information about the American Heart Association in your community, visit www.heart.org/hudsonvalley or call 914-806-0962.