Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Visit the North Carolina You're the Cure Community Website

We have moved to the new North Carolina You’re the Cure Community website: www.yourethecure.org/northcarolina.

 
Come visit us and see all the exciting new ways you can engage in our mission.
 
You’ll find:
  • More opportunities for social sharing
  • Personalized content based on location and the issues you’ve indicated interest in
  • More and better chances to take impactful actions
  • A points, ranks and badges system to reward participation and display dedication to heart disease and stroke 
Register yourself as a Community Advocate today so you can participate and help us drive our policy work online!

Friday, August 17, 2012

You're the Cure NC: Exciting News Ahead!

Coming soon for You're the Cure NC is a new You're the Cure Community Website!  We are scheduled to launch very soon.  This new website will provide you, our advocates with more useablity and be our new home for you to be an educated, engaged advocate. 

Some of the great new features include:

  • Highly personalized content based on location and the issues that you have indicated you are interested in.
  • More and better chances to take impactful actions.
  • More opportunities for social sharing across multiple platforms while in the site.
  • Points, ranks, and badges system to help you really get active with You're the Cure and show others your dedication to building healthier lives!

I know that you are going to love the new site. It's going to be fun exploring all the great new features. Stay tuned for more information regarding the You're the Cure Community Website launch in the days ahead. 

Monday, July 16, 2012

Look What You Helped Do; Thank Legislators for Helping Save Lives

The 2012 North Carolina General Assembly was lively and productive, yielding some notable successes and also leaving us with more work to be done. We are excited to share with you the great news of our success with HB 837: Completion of CPR by Students Required which is currently awaiting the Governor's signature. Thanks to the hard work of you and your fellow advocates, NC took a major step toward ensuring we have a generation trained to be a lifesaver. Thank you for your advocacy!

Please take a moment to thank your lawmakers for their support of saving lives - send your customizable letter now.

Here is a brief recap of some of the exciting issues You're the Cure advocates helped us work on:

HB 837: COMPLETION OF CPR BY STUDENTS REQUIRED

(http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H837v4.pdf) Makes successful completion of instruction in CPR available to all students, requires maintenance of documentation of CPR instruction, and a plan to phase in completion of CPR instruction as a high school graduation requirement by 2015; provides that schools shall use for this purpose an instructional program developed by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or other nationally recognized program that is based on the most current evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for CPR. [Status: Ratified, Awaiting Governor's Signature]

HB 914: AED PLACEMENT IN STATE BUILDINGS (http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H914v3.pdf)

Creates a "Chain of Survival Task Force" to develop funding opportunities from the public/private sectors for the purchase of AEDs and to oversee the training of state employees in emergency medical response; places AEDs in all buildings and facilities that house state services and institutions, and provides training for state employees in those facilities. [Status: Ratified, Awaiting Governor's Signature]
CONTINUATION OF TOBACCO USE PREVENTION AND CESSATION PROGRAM FUNDING

Included in the 2012 state budget is funding for tobacco use prevention and cessation programs. The 2011 appropriations act funded these programs at $17.3 million using funds from the Master Settlement Agreement for one year only. Advocates worked to try and make this funding recurring at the $17.3 million level. Only $2.7 million in non-recurring funding for tobacco cessation and prevention programs was secured in the final 2012 state budget. This amounts to an 85% cut in the funding for these programs. We will look for strategies to rectify this unfortunate outcome next session and will need your help to prioritize it for our lawmakers.
HB 503: CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

(http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H503v4.pdf) Legislation passed the House in the 2011 legislative session that would have required the NC State Board of Education to adopt nutrition standards for foods sold outside of the school nutrition program that are consistent with national guidelines of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation or National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine. The Senate stripped the language from the bill and retitled the bill Parent Choice/Clarify Pre-K. The House did not concur with the Senate. [Status: Legislation Failed]
We could not have the level of success we've had without your help. Thank you for supporting policy efforts to help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases and stroke!

Send your customizable letter now to thank legislators for CPR in Schools!



Thursday, June 28, 2012

A Supremely Important Decision

Each and every one of us will need to access health care at some point in our lives and the Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ensures that the progress being made toward protecting patients, improving quality care, and emphasizing prevention will continue.



As we look forward, it is important to recognize how the law is already making significant strides in helping millions of Americans access and afford the care they need, including:


• 61,000 patients with serious medical conditions, like heart disease and stroke, who have been able to access health care coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIPs) established under the law.


• 86 million Americans who received at least one free preventive service last year, including cholesterol and blood pressure screening, nutrition counseling, and tobacco-cessation counseling (or counseling to quit smoking).


• 3.6 million Medicare beneficiaries who saved a total of $2.1 billion in 2011 on prescription drugs as the ‘donut hole’ closes.


• 3.1 million young adults who now have health care coverage because they are able to stay on their parents' plan until the age of 26.


And in 2014, 122 million Americans with pre-existing conditions will finally have peace of mind that they cannot be denied coverage or charged higher premiums based on their condition.


Additionally, the law has helped prioritize the fight against our nation’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers with the launch of the Million Hearts campaign. This initiative has brought together key government agencies, companies, and nonprofits, including the AHA/ASA, to work toward the goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years.


In the months and years ahead, the AHA/ASA looks forward to continuing to work with Congress, the Administration, the states, our fellow public health partners, and advocates like you to work toward quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Learn more: http://www.healthcareandyou.org/

Friday, June 22, 2012

Calling All Heroes!

Time is almost up. The NC Legislature will be wrapping up the 2012 legislative session very soon. We can't let the Senate leave without taking action to ensure a new generation of lifesavers graduates from high school each year, ready responders who can jump in and make a life-and-death difference for someone in cardiac arrest. HB 837: Completion of CPR by Students Required would guarantee our students receive the 8th grade requirement for CPR instruction.
Call on your Senator today to be a Hero - send your letter now!

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of our nation's leading killers. If we lived in a world where most everyone knew CPR and was ready to help, we could double, even triple their chance of survival. CPR may be the most valuable lesson a student can learn. Give our kids the power and confidence to save a life when it matters most. Let's make sure they learn CPR before they graduate high school

Be a You're the Cure Super Hero: click here to send your customizable letter!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Act Now to Preserve Funding for Tobacco-Use Programs

The House Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee is working NOW to finalize the HHS appropriations proposal.  This is a pivotal time.  The House leadership expects to have the House version of the budget approved in just a few short weeks.  There is no time to waste!

Future funding for tobacco-use prevention and cessation programs is at risk since the Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) was eliminated in last year's budget.  The HWTF previously received 25 percent of the state's tobacco settlement funds and provided dedicated funding for the state's tobacco prevention and cessation programs.  Tell your representative to support recurring appropriations for these critical programs.

While last year's budget permitted the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to allocate $17.3 million to tobacco prevention and cessation programs for one year, this funding is currently non-recurring.  The programs face elimination by June 30 (in less than two months!) unless funding is renewed by the General Assembly this year.

With the House budget deadline approaching and subcommittees working now to prepare their proposals, now is the time for advocates to communicate with their House members about the effectiveness of NC's current tobacco-use prevention and cessation programs and the need to secure recurring funds of at least $17.3 million to sustain current efforts to keep our youth from starting to smoke.

Send your customizable letter now!



To learn more contact Betsy Vetter: betsy.vetter@heart.org