American Heart Association Names HRHCare CMO as Co-Chair of New Community Impact Committee

Peekskill, NY – Hudson River Health Care (HRHCare) is pleased to announce that HRHCare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sophia McIntyre has been named Co-Chair of the American Heart Association’s new Community Impact Committee. This committee is tasked with building a culture of health in the Westchester community, while improving cardiovascular health for all. The Community Impact Committee, or CIC, is a standing committee of the Westchester American Heart Regional Board and is responsible for advising the Board on local and statewide health issues related to cardiovascular disease, and on programs it supports or initiates.

After completing a local needs assessment based on the Association’s health priorities, the CIC will create a comprehensive plan with recommendations to fill in the gaps and health needs in the market. Some initial projects will address high blood pressure control, healthy food access, and increasing physical activity opportunities for residents.

“The AHA’s Community Impact Committee will collaboratively address food insecurity, access to healthy foods, and to share and adopt best practices in blood pressure control,” said CIC Co-Chair Sophia McIntyre, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, CPE, HRHCare Chief Medical Officer. “There is an African proverb that says ‘if you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ The members of the CIC understand the value of bringing the individual and collective expertise, resources, and community insights together with the input of the residents of the community to ensure a healthy Westchester.”

“The AHA is dedicated to orchestrating transformative change in communities that aligns with our goals to reduce death from heart disease and stroke while improving cardiovascular health for all,” said CIC Co-Chair Dr. Damara Gutnick, Montefiore HV Collaborative Medical Director. “We look forward to convening local health partners and fostering collective action to help improve the quality of life for all of our neighbors.”

CIC volunteer members are leaders from a wide range of public and private health organizations and include: Dr. Sherlita Amler, Westchester Health Department Commissioner; Renee Recchia, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Administration, Westchester Health Department; Leslie Gordon, President and CEP, Feeding Westchester; Mary Molina, Founder, Owner, Lola Granola; Dr. Daren Wu, CMO, Open Door; Shauna Porteus, Community Librarian, Yonkers Public Library; Deborah Viola MBA, PhD, VP, Data Management and Analytics, WMC Health Network; Zachary Swierat, Program Director, YMCA White Plains and Yonkers; Francine Carl, Director of Westchester Comm College Extension Center, Mount Vernon; and Dr. Markos Asamenew, Medical Director, Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center.

To learn more about American Heart Association events and programs in the Westchester area, contact Jennifer Miller at Jennifer.miller@heart.org. Visit www.heart.org for information about healthy lifestyles.

About Hudson River Health Care

Founded over 40 years ago as a Federally Qualified Health Center, Hudson River Health Care (HRHCare) is one of the nation’s largest community health providers. The HRHCare network of 30 health centers throughout the Hudson Valley and Long Island provides affordable, accessible care to over 185,000 patients through more than 820,000 visits annually. The more than 350 primary care practitioners and 700 specialists and support staff have made HRHCare a destination for convenient, high-quality care for all.

For more information contact:

Jeffrey Palmer

Public Relations Manager

914.425.0890

jpalmer@hrhcare.org

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