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these people in the complex cardiovascular field, the association joined with the National Heart Institute in publishing Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels; Facts and Figures. This statistical handbook contains uniform statements and graphic charts based on official sources and agreed upon by the two major heart agencies. The information covers incidence, disability, importance of sex, and race, seasonal influences, and the most serious forms of cardiovascular disease.

You and Your Heart

The association arranged with the New American Library, publishers of Signet pocket books, to issue an inexpensive paper-covered edition of You and Your Heart, thus making available to a wider public the book giving detailed nontechnical information about the heart and circulation which was published by Random House in 1950.

The need for new films on heart disease for the lay public remained a primary one, and it is hoped that when increased funds become available this need will eventually be filled. The association's film library, established late in 1951, was increasingly active in handling distribution and servicing of films, slides, and film strips for rental or sale to affiliated heart associations and other interested groups for professional and general public screenings. The library acquired several new films produced by heart associations, and gaehered other useful films from various sources to add to its active collection.

Television opportunities

Television offered new opportunities to bring educational heart-disease films before a mass audience. Special television privileges were obtained for the films, Guard Your Heart and for a condensed school edition of that film, Wonder Engine of the Body. Several affiliated heart associations in various parts of the country also took full advantage of this new medium for telling the community about their program and the latest scientific advances in fighting heart disease.

Heart of America

In consideration of limited funds for production of audiovisual material, the association utilized an effective means for cutting costs by working with other agencies on a cooperative basis. For example, the Heart Association collaborated with the American Medical Association's bureau of health education in producing Heart of America, a series of thirteen 15-minute transcriptions which local medical societies are presenting jointly with heart associations. Each script features a dramatic story of one aspect of heart disease, and includes an informative message by a specialist in cardiovascular disorders. The Human Heart

The Human Heart, a series of eight 15-minute transcribed stories of people who learned to live with heart disease, featuring leading entertainmnet personalities, was prepared under the joint auspices of the American Heart Association and the National Heart Institute. These programs also featured messages by heart authorities.

Posters and displays

Attention-getting but inexpensive poster material was much in demand by affiliated heart associations to inform the public about community services, program goals, and scientific advances. The national office developed a simple basic display unit consisting of a shadow box to hold various poster transparencies. Heart of the Home and school health exhibit posters also were made available. Through arrangements with other groups, specialized displays were provided to heart associations for use at professional meetings.

Stockholder's report

Special educational projects and meetings are developed by heart associations for particular sections of the community whose support is valuable in advancing the heart program. The association's council on high blood pressure research devoted its annual meeting last May to a stockholder's report outlining the latest developments in the cardiovascular field to a group of business and industrial leaders.

Clergy-physician committees

The clergy was enlisted in partnership with the medical profession to help provide spiritual and psychological guidance frequently required by heart pa

tients in addition to the physical care of their physicians. The national office called upon heart associations to follow the lead of the Massachusetts Heart Association, which developed this program, in forming clergy-physician committees.

PUBLICITY AND INFORMATION

The publicity program of the Heart Association is part and parcel of its educational program, with the various media being utilized as vehicles to impart knowledge. Press releases are issued to newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, to medical and special publications, and to science editors and freelance writers to acquaint the public and special groups with the problems of heart disease, the solutions that are being worked out, and the needs still to be filled.

In the interests of encouraging the highest standards of medical reporting and developing good working relationships with the press, the association cooperated to the fullest extent with editors, science writers, and broadcasters, providing them with authoritative information and helping them to prepare special articles and programs.

This mutual cooperation resulted in an excellent series of special articles, radio and television programs, and syndicated pieces throughout the year, reaching an educational crescendo during the heart fund period in February.

Blakeslee award

Stimulating further efforts in this direction, the American Heart Association established the Howard W. Blakeslee award in the amount of $1,000 to be presented annually to the "individual whose creative efforts have contributed most toward public understanding of the cardiovascular diseases in any medium of communication-including newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, or films." The award was named in honor of the late science editor of the Associated Press, who died last year of heart disease.

Scientific sessions coverage

The tremendous interest of the press in following the latest scientific developments in the cardiovascular field is indicated by the extensive newspaper and magazine coverage of the association's annual scientific sessions. To encourage accurate and intelligent reporting of these sessions, authoritative material interpreting the scientific reports is made available to the press through the official information service of the Heart Association.

Research reporting project

The public's desire to know more about research activities and what they mean in the fight against heart disease prompted the development of a research reporting project. A science reporter representing the association has interviewed research investigators in various parts of the country concerning representative studies and trends. He has completed a report which will be published in 1953. The material collected for this report already has proved useful in counseling editors and writers, in providing reference information and photographs, and in the preparation of a series of newspaper feature articles on research.

Publicity manual

In the same manner that it develops guidance material for the use of affiliates in their educational and community service programs, the national office also provides assistance to heart associations in conducting their publicity activities in a manner consistent with the public relations policies that shape the national program. The national office prepared a publicity manual for heart associations, as a practical guide to affiliates and chapters in using all publicity media. The manual places stress on specific problems related to the heart program and coordination of national and local publicity efforts for maximum effectiveness. The American Heart

Supplementing other media of education and information, the American Heart Association and its affiliates issue their own periodicals to give a regular accounting to the general public of work planned and accomplished. The American Heart, a national quarterly, is distributed by heart associations to members, contributors, the press, and other key community leaders and groups to acquaint them with the general objectives and progress of the heart program. The quarterly is utilized in combination with statewide and local newsletters and

bulletins issued by heart associations as a direct informational channel to tell the public what we are doing.

Mounting inquiries

An increasing load has been placed on the inquiries section during the past year because of the expanding activities of the association and its affiliates and the growing awareness among the public of the services available to fight heart disease. This was reflected in the steep rise of inquiries and requests for information, educational materials, and many other forms of help from a wide variety of individuals and organizations, including the press.

TO HELP

ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION

The American Heart Association and its affiliated associations and chapters constitute a democratic and voluntarily established structure to help the physician, the heart patient, and the public combat heart disease. During the past year, a series of reorganizational moves was begun in order to achieve greater streamlining and efficiency in this structure, and a more democratic participation of members and leaders.

The national office of the association directs the national phases of the heart program and guides affiliated associations in the development of its community aspects, providing a clearing house and a source of information, ideas, and materials. Although a great deal of attention is still required from the national staff in helping affiliated associations strengthen their organizations and develop new chapters, the point has been reached where much more emphasis can now be placed on program building.

Affiliates and chapters

The network of heart association affiliates and chapters has extended its geographical coverage so that there are organizations in almost all of the 48 States as well as Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. By the end of 1952, there were 59 directly affiliated heart associations, constituted for the most part on a statewide basis, with 351 chapters under their jurisdiction. There were also a good many local heart committees which will become chapters at a later stage of their development.

These heart associations have a total of approximately 14,800 voting members, of whom 7,800 are physicians, and 7,000 laymen. Voting membership in an affiliated association is open to any person interested in supporting or participating in the heart program, and automatically entitles an individual to voting membership in the American Heart Association. Membership subscriptions to the scientific journals published by the association are separate from voting membership.

National assembly

The national assembly is the overall governing body of the American Heart Association, composed of approximately 400 delegates representing affiliated heart associations and the various councils and sections of the national organization. A result of the broader geographic coverage by heart associations was the abolition late in 1952 of the general category of assembly delegate at large. The delegate-at-large category originally was created to represent unorganized areas of the country.

A record attendance marked the annual assembly meeting in April 1952 in Cleveland as a result of several new program features that were added to interest lay members. These features included Doctors Meet the Press, a panel discussion, and Your Heart Association in Action, presenting progress reports by physicians closely associated with heart association programs.

Scientific council reorganizes

The tremendous and growing interest of physicians throughout the country in participating in the scientific and medical program of the Heart Association set the wheels in motion for a reorganization of the scientific council to broaden its membership, and bring about wider representation of all interests in the medical profession. Steps were taken to revise the council's rules and regulations in keeping with the decision that "all medical members of the association and its affiliates" may become members of the scientific council. Organization of two new sections was begun, a section on clinical cardiology and a section

on vascular surgery. The scientific council already includes the section for high blood pressure research, the council on rheumatic fever and congenital heart disease, and the section on circulation.

Blood pressure section transfers

The office of the section for high blood pressure research in Cleveland has been closed as part of an integration process within the framework of the American Heart Association. Functions relating to medical and program matters have been transferred to the national office under the supervision of the medical director. The section's fund-raising activities among corporation executives have been transferred to the Cleveland Area Heart Society.

Community service and education council

To place greater emphasis on developing programs of community service and education, the association's board of directors approved the creation of a council on community service and education, which is to have the same responsibility in these areas as the scientific council exercises over research and professional education. Creation of the new council was recommended by a special committee on staff function, appointed by the President to study the duties and responsibilties of national staff members, and their relationships to committee, council, and board activities.

Staff organization

The board also adopted a plan of organization for the national staff, submitted by the executive director, Rome A. Betts. This plan provided for the medical director, Dr. Charles D. Marple, to administer the research and professional education program, supervise the medical content of all publications, and be responsible for conducting the annual scientific sessions, with staff responsibility for all activities of the scientific council and its councils and sections.

Conforming with the creation of the new council, the title of the public health director, Dr. John W. Ferree, was changed to director of community service and education. The public health division for which he is responsible, became the community service and education division. Functioning within this division are the staffs for field program consultation, public information, educational materials, and inquiries.

Guiding affiliates

Consultation and guidance are provided to help affiliates improve their operations through field visits of national staff members, national training sessions, orientation visits of new heart association staff members to the national office, regional conferences, and special memoranda and interassociation publications. The process of coordination as well as guidance is an important one to assist affiliates in developing their activities to the fullest potential. The committee to review and coordinate the activities of affiliates evaluates annual reports received from heart associations covering administration and organization, program, and finances, and makes recommendations to help them with their problems.

Staff conference

The staff conference of heart associations, an organization composed of executive directors and staff members of affiliates and chapters, exercises an important function in interpreting the policies of the national office to State and local groups, and in making better known the needs and desires of heart associations to the national organization. During 1952, a broader participation by repesentatives of the staff conference was brought about in the policy and program-making bodies of the national asociation to the benefit of the overall heart program.

With the assistance of the national office staff, the staff conference of heart associations conducted a 3-day conference preceding the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in April 1952. This conference has now become an annual event, offering an opportunity for mutual assistance and helpful exchange of program ideas and experiences.

Regional meetings

Getting closer to the problems peculiar to various geographical areas, the national office held 6 regional meetings for Heart Association board, committee members, and staff representatives from 36 States and the District of Columbia.

Program guide

The association's new Program Guide proved a valuable supplement to the consultation services of the national office in assisting heart associations to build programs corersponding to the needs of the people of the community. Heart and Torch, an interassociation bulletin, was a continuing source of new ideas and suggestions for program building.

New address

A further step toward economy and efficiency of operation was taken when the national office in New York was consolidated on one floor at a new address, moving from 1775 Broadway to 44 East 23d Street. The move, made necessary by the growth of program activities, gave the association about double the amount of space at no increase in rental.

Gold heart awards

The Heart Association feels it is appropriate to reward those who have rendered particularly outstanding service to further the heart program or to aid in scientific advances. The association's top honor, the annual gold heart award, was presented at the 1952 annual meeting to A. W. Robertson, Pittsburgh, for his leadership as chairman of the board of directors from 1948 to 1952; Dr. Carl J. Wiggers, professor and director of the department of physiology, Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, in recognition of his influence on medical thinking and his unique school for research investigators; Robert L. Mehornay (posthumously), business and civic leader of Kansas City, Mo., for his contributions to the development of the association as one of its first lay members of the board; and Mrs. Albert D. Lasker, cofounder of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, for focusing attention on the need for medical research on heart and other diseases.

THE HEART FUND

The heart fund campaign, in which the public is asked for voluntary contributions every February, is the chief source of income to help heart associations continue and develop their programs of scientific research, professional and public education, and community service. Additional sources of funds are memorial gifts, legacies, and bequests, and other year-round donations.

The 1952 heart fund campaign, fourth of the association's national fund-raising efforts, reached the highest total yet attained. The successful results of the 1952 drive were viewed as a heartening expression of increasing public confidence in the voluntary program to combat heart diseases. The association was "coming of age," not only in the scope and importance of services performed, but in the public's willingness to give financial support to its activities. Here is the 4-year record of heart fund receipts:

1952 campaign.

1951 campaign.

1950 campaign.

1949 campaign_.

Leadership

$6, 582, 132. 50

5, 551, 266. 57 4, 104, 484. 82 2,655, 777. 00

The heart fund was fortunate once again in being able to count on the advice and counsel of distinguished leaders in various fields of business, industry, Government, labor, and the professions. Bruce Barton, noted author and chairman of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, served for a second year as national campaign chairman. Assisting him as vice chairman was Charles E. Wilson, president of General Motors Corp. Winthrop W. Aldrich, chairman of the Chase National Bank, served as campaign treasurer. Postmaster General Jesse M. Donaldson was chairman of the Federal Employees Committee. Secretary of Labor Maurice J. Tobin was chairman of the Labor Committee. Thomas M. McDonnell, director of radio for Foote, Cone and Belding agency, served as chairman of the Radio Committee. Rodney Erickson, manager of the radio and TV department, Young & Rubicam, Inc., was chairman of the Television Committee.

Publicity aids

During the campaign period an intensive effort was made to supply all media of communication with publicity material about the heart program and heart disease both at the national and community level. The national office provided

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