Laura Merrick, a Chicago health information leader, has been named the 2025 national winner of the American Heart Association's Leaders of Impact campaign after raising more than $380,000 for initiatives aimed at preventing cardiac arrest deaths. Her motivation stemmed from her mother's survival of cardiac arrest due to bystander CPR, highlighting that only 10% of the over 350,000 annual out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the U.S. are not fatal, according to data from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123.
Merrick's campaign focused on combating high blood pressure, a silent killer, and improving cardiac emergency readiness. Through her efforts, 18 community-based organizations in Chicagoland will receive blood pressure hubs, providing free monitors, educational materials on self-measurement, and connections to medical providers. These hubs are part of Embracing Community Care, an American Heart Association initiative designed to fund equipment and resources for community health. Additionally, a self-measurement blood pressure kiosk will be installed in Chicago to teach residents about hypertension control.
The campaign also enables 18 organizations to implement Cardiac Emergency Response Plans, which include CPR and AED training for staff, volunteers, and community members on response teams. This addresses cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, as noted in statistics from the https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/heart-and-stroke-association-statistics. Merrick emphasized her goal to strengthen readiness in underserved communities, making lifesaving preparedness a standard across Chicago by training more people and equipping more places.
The Leaders of Impact competition, which ran from September 18 to November 5, involved over 300 local nominees and 1,200 Impact Team members in 72 communities nationwide. These volunteers educated communities, advocated for heart health, and raised funds for the American Heart Association's scientific research, CPR education, and equitable healthcare access. Lee A. Shapiro, volunteer chairperson of the association, praised Merrick and fellow nominees for their significant impact on heart and brain health in their communities.
This initiative matters because it directly tackles the high mortality rate from cardiac arrests by expanding access to critical resources like blood pressure monitoring and CPR training. By focusing on community-based solutions, it aims to reduce health disparities and empower individuals to act in emergencies, potentially saving countless lives. The campaign's success demonstrates how localized efforts can drive national change in public health, emphasizing preparedness over reaction in the fight against heart disease.
