Raising Funds — And Awareness — To Benefit the Hearts of Women

Vita Kolber (left) is chair of the Women's Philanthropic Fund, and Paulette Roberts (right) helped launch the philanthropic group.

When a person is experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack, time is everything. A quick diagnosis and prompt treatment increases a patient's chances of survival and reduces the risk for permanent heart damage.

With $56,000 raised by the Women's Philanthropic Fund... the heart of Meridian, Meridian Health is purchasing new technology that will enable paramedics to perform electrocardiograms (EKGs) en route to the hospital — and transmit the data to waiting doctors. This will enable the emergency teams within the three Meridian Health hospitals to respond more quickly to heart attack patients and get them into the cardiac catheterization lab faster to open a blocked coronary artery.

"Raising funds for the heart program, services, and technology at Meridian Health is one of our main goals," says Paulette Roberts, the former president of Meridian Health Affiliated Foundations, who helped launch the philanthropic group.

Educating Women About Heart Disease
Educating women in Monmouth and Ocean counties about heart disease was the inspiration for the group's formation in September 2006. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Unfortunately, many women don't know this important fact. Although significant progress has been made in increasing awareness among women, most fail to make the connection between risk factors and their own odds of developing heart disease.

With a founding board of 10 women, the Women's Philanthropic Fund hosted a sold-out fundraiser last spring to launch the organization. The luncheon at Avenue in West Long Branch included a talk by Pamela Serure, who authored the book Take It to Heart about her experience with heart disease, and Tara Singer, a heart attack survivor. Last December, the group hosted a fundraising cocktail party at Garmany in Red Bank, and it has raised funds through membership dues as well.

Touching Lives
"Just about everyone I know and everyone who is on our board has been touched by heart disease," Roberts says. "It's rewarding to know that with a collective effort through the Women's Philanthropic Fund, we can really make an impact and help improve the health and well-being of our communities."