SEATTLE, January 8, 2024 — Four heart disease survivors and one physician make up the five women selected to be  the 2024 ambassadors for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement in the Puget Sound

The ambassadors are: Imelda Dacones, M.D., F.A.C.P., market president for Optum Pacific Northwest and chairperson of the local Go Red for Women campaign; Susan Koeppen of Kirkland, a heart attack survivor; Isabel Martinez of Federal Way, who has overcome high blood pressure; Jessica Rogers Morton of Mt. Vernon, a heart transplant recipient; and Shana Pennington-Baird of Seattle, an aortic dissection survivor. 

The announcement from the American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, comes as the Association launches its centennial year, celebrating 100 years of making gains in the fight against heart disease and stroke. In the two decades since it launched Go Red for Women as a movement to address awareness and clinical care gaps of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women, 44% of women are now aware that CVD is their greatest health threat. Still, among females age 20 years and older, nearly 45% are living with some form of CVD. 

The Go Red for Women ambassadors are volunteers committed to sharing their personal stories and expertise to inspire others to take action to reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke. They were selected for their relatable stories and represent a sisterhood of survivors and advocates. Over the next year, the ambassadors will help to raise awareness by sharing their experiences in person, online and through news media. 

The 2024 Go Red for Women Ambassadors:

Imelda Dacones, MD, FACP. Cardiovascular disease touches Dr. Dacones personally, having lost her mother to stroke and with more than half of her eight siblings affected by heart disease. As a primary care physician and hospitalist, she also knows firsthand the importance of prevention, of the possibility of living well with heart disease, all the way to the disability and death that can result. Dr. Dacones currently serves as the market president for Optum Pacific Northwest and is volunteering her leadership as the chairperson for the 2024 Go Red for Women movement in the Puget Sound. As cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of women, Dr. Dacones is committed to helping women understand their risks, know their numbers and work with their healthcare team to take steps in safeguarding their health. 

Susan Koeppen. Susan is well aware that symptoms of a heart attack can be subtle, especially in women. When she experienced a heart attack in 2022, the warning signs were pain in her left shoulder blade and overwhelming nausea. She didn’t think they were heart-related but as she continued to feel worse, she remembered that when her father experienced a heart attack, he couldn’t articulate what exactly was wrong, just that he felt terrible. Susan asked her husband to take her to the emergency room and things happened quickly after her arrival. The hospital team determined that she had a 100% blockage in her left anterior descending artery (also known as a widow maker) and swiftly got her in for a stent procedure. As a result of this experience, the 64-year-old mother and lawyer made positive lifestyle changes and now goes through life with a greater sense of urgency as she realizes life is short and can change quickly. 

Isabel Martinez. Isabel is a mother and fitness professional who has a history of high blood pressure in her family and who lost her beloved mother to a heart attack. Isabel had always been a very healthy and physically active person until her second pregnancy when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a dangerous type of high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy. Her blood pressure spiked up again in 2021 when Isabel experienced extreme fatigue while teaching exercise classes and went home to rest. Her daughter, seeing her condition, checked her vital signs and noticed that her blood pressure had risen to more than 180 mm/Hg. Isabel asked her daughter to take her to the hospital where an ultrasound revealed a mass in her lower abdomen that was ultimately removed through a hysterectomy. During both health crises, she credits exercise for helping her to recover both physically and mentally. She would like others to know that you can reduce your risk for heart disease that may run in your family by eating healthy, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding stress, sleeping well, having a regular physical check with your doctor and taking medications if prescribed to manage conditions like high blood pressure.   

Jessica Rogers Morton. Jessica’s heart journey started after she got diagnosed with bone cancer in 2010 and experienced heart trouble as a result of chemotherapy. One year after chemo, she ended up in the hospital struggling to breathe and with fluid building up in her lungs. At age 23, Jessica was in heart failure. Her heart continued to deteriorate and in June 2011 she was put on a left ventricular assist device (or LVAD) to help her heart pump. On Halloween 2016, Jessica got listed for a heart transplant and dressed up as a tin man who wanted a heart. By the following February, Jessica got the call and celebrated heart month by receiving a new heart.   

Shana Pennington-Baird. Shana was traveling through Europe in 2019 when she first experienced a tiny popping sensation in her chest, as well as intense heartburn and intermittent pain that went to her jawline. She didn’t think much of it. While checking in to a BnB in Ireland, Shana says she experienced profuse sweating and the world went gray. She called the local emergency number and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. After waiting 4 hours, she was given a CAT scan and was then transported by ambulance two hours away to another hospital for open heart surgery to treat an aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition in which the wall of the main artery carrying blood out of the heart tears. The surgery took 14 hours. Shana says she was not told how serious it was until after the surgery but credits the medical team for performing a scan that identified the problem. She knows she was lucky to have survived. Since the experience, Shana has written a one woman show using humor and music to recount her heart journey and celebrate being a survivor. The show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023 and will perform again in Seattle in March 2024.   

The Go Red for Women ambassadors will launch their commitment to inspiring others to prioritize their health on National Wear Red Day – Friday, February 2, 2024 – by wearing red as a symbol for the movement. Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of 1 in 3. To prevent, treat and beat heart disease and stroke, women should understand family health history, know their health numbers and make healthy behavior changes. Learn more at GoRedforWomen.org

Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health, and locally supported by Optum, Regence BlueShield, MultiCare Health System and Premera Blue Cross. 

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Instagram, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. 

About Go Red for Women® 

The American Heart Association’s signature initiative, Go Red for Women®, is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. While the majority of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women. For more than two decades, Go Red for Women has encouraged awareness. The movement harnesses the energy, passion and power of women to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them tools they need to lead a heart healthy life. The Go Red for Women movement is nationally sponsored by CVS Health, with additional support from national cause supporters. For more information, please visit GoRedforWomen.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721).  

Media Contacts: 

Valerie Koch, Valerie.koch@heart.org

Francesca Minas, Francesca.minas@heart.org