Sister to Sister in Jacksonville, Florida

A letter from Irene Pollin, Founder and Chairperson, Sister to Sister Foundation...

Dear Ladies,

I am so pleased that you have come to our website in search of information and support, and hope that you will find it a rich and useful resource on your journey to a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Sister to Sister, established in 2000, has a great deal to be proud of and celebrate as the decade comes to a close. We were the first organization to address the public health crisis that heart disease is the # 1 killer of women, and we have provided more than 80,000 free heart health screenings and counseling interventions while educating more than 200,000 women at our heart health fairs nationwide.

Now, ten years later, we feel it is the right time to move in a direction that will allow us to reach greater numbers of women, more efficiently and effectively. To that end, we will be shifting our immediate focus away from local heart health fairs to a signature online wellness program that we have been developing for much of the past year. This program will greatly enhance the tools and community aspects of the website, so please check back here for updates.

In addition, we will focus on our exciting partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, relocating our national operations to Boston in early 2010. The Abe and Irene Pollin Cardiovascular Program will focus on a Women's Heart Health Research Program, education and awareness, and advocacy to bring about policy change.

Heart Health Month is such an exciting time of year, as awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women continues to grow. Every woman has the chance to dramatically reduce her risk of heart disease, which is largely preventable by adopting healthy lifestyle changes.

Here's to healthy hearts for women everywhere!

Irene Pollin, MSW, PhD (Hon)

Sister to Sister has been part of your community since 2006. We work year-round to bring heart health resources to the women of Jacksonville.

Another Successful Women's Heart Health Fair!

Sister to Sister's 4th annual free Women's Heart Health Fair was held on January 31, 2009 at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Over 4,000 women turned out to get heart smart with lifestyle presentations, cutting-edge information on medical issues, and complimentary heart-health screenings.

See the highlights from Sister to Sister's January 31, 2009 Women's Heart Health Fair in Jacksonville.

Local Leadership

Discover which community leaders in Jacksonville are passionate about contributing their time and efforts to Sister to Sister's mission.

Local Medical Partners and Sponsors

Local Media Partners

Jacksonville 2009 Community Council

Sister to Sister's Community Council is a made up of a group of select women from the corporate, government and non-profit worlds who come together to help plan the National Women's Healthy Heart Campaign. These female executives are local leaders who pass on our heart-health message to the women they influence in their communities. They are aware of how critical it is to promote awareness of heart disease among women, and understand the need to turn knowledge into action.

Our Community Council members assist the Campaign with program planning, outreach, promotion and sponsorship sales. We truly appreciate their efforts in helping to save the lives of women in the Jacksonville area.

	Dr. Amy Jarvis is the Jacksonville Community Council Chair for the 2009-10 Campaign year. Dr. Jarvis is a cerebrovascular neurologist with Baptist Neurology at Baptist Health. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Heart Association//American Stroke Association, and the Neurologic Society of Georgia. She completed her residency in neurology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she served as chief resident. She completed her fellowship in cerebrovascular neurology at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
	Linda Allen is Director of Women's Imaging for Baptist Health System in Jacksonville Florida. Throughout her career she has been actively involved in women's community health outreach and educational initiatives.
	Vickie Cavey is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions for JEA and was the recipient of the Community Way, Heart of Gold award from Volunteer Jacksonville in 2007.
	Kenyonn Demps is a native of Jacksonville Florida, holds a Masters Degree in Health Service Administration and has spent 20 years in the senior citizen community. She currently is the Director of Meals on Wheels where she oversees the delivery of 1100 meals a day to homebound seniors.
	Jennifer Rodriguez Halbach is the Marketing Director at Park Ridge Nursing Center. Jennifer's professional experiences provide a wealth of knowledge and diversity in the areas of marketing, management, sales, finance, technology and training. In addition to Sister to Sister, Jennifer is also actively involved in various community and charitable organizations throughout North Florida such as the Red Cross, United Way and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
	Cynthia Hamilton serves as the Director of Public Relations at Baptist Health for more than 20 years. Cindy has focused on developing, managing and implementing activities designed to expand community awareness. Her experience includes planning, management and implementation of targeted public relations campaigns, as well as media strategy, event planning and advertising.
	Kemberli Johann is a Planning and Design Manager with AT&T. She became involved with Sister to Sister three years ago through her work with the Women of AT&T (WOA) Florida Chapter, an employee resource group.
	Ame Keefe is a Certified Medical Assistant and has been a member of the Sister to Sister Jacksonville Community Council since the inaugural event in 2006.
	Mary Kay O'Rourke is the President/CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. (HabiJax). She was promoted from her original position of Director of Client Services (1997) to Chief Operating Officer/ Interim President in 2005 and then promoted to President in 2006. Ms. O'Rourke is very active in Jacksonville community organizations, and has been a wonderful asset to Sister to Sister.
	Lori Pugh is an event producer with PRI Productions and has been a part of the STS campaign since its inception in 2005. Lori was one of original event coordinators for the Jacksonville location.
	Pamela R. Rama, MD, FACC practices as a Cardiologist at Jacksonville Heart Center in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Dr. Rama was the Co-Chair of the Sister to Sister Healthy Heart Campaign in Jacksonville for 2008-2009.
	Carol Royer is Manager of Advertising and Marketing Programs for Safariland, a BAE Systems Inc Company. Carol has been on the Jacksonville Sister to Sister Community Council since its inception in 2006.
	Lynn Sherman serves as the Director of Community Health for Baptist Health, and she is responsible for coordinating volunteers for the Sister to Sister Women's Heart Health Fairs. She has been involved with STS for the past four years.
	Angela Spears is a Reporter for First Coast News NBC 12/ABC 25 in Jacksonville, Florida. She has been working with the Sister to Sister Community Council and the Heart Health Fair in Jacksonville since 2006.
	Allison Teger is a licensed therapist in Jacksonville Florida and is the spokesperson for WomenHeart. She has been a member of Sister to Sister since 2006.

Jacksonville Team

Sister to Sister has dedicated professionals in Jacksonville that work year-round to raise awareness about heart disease in women.

	Charles W. Callaghan, Campaign Manager Charles was instrumental in launching Sister to Sister in Northeast Florida through the inaugural Jacksonville Women's Heart Health Fair in 2006. Charles leverages his long history as an advertising and public relations professional to generate positive, productive local awareness of heart health issues for women. As a result, the last four health fairs in Jacksonville have produced record screening results and increased understanding of heart health in private and community sectors.
	Jessi Odell, Campaign Coordinator Jessi Odell worked as a public relations intern for the 2008 Jacksonville Sister to Sister Campaign and is now the full-time coordinator. Jessi works closely with local media and sponsor organizations to secure event coverage, financial support and public awareness. She brings career experience in event production and an education based in public relations and advertising, and generates creative and long-lasting impressions of the Sister to Sister Campaign, and the health issues it represents.
	Tina Starling, Campaign Assistant Coordinator Tina Starling is newest member to the Sister to Sister Campaign. As the Campaign Manager for Jacksonville, Tina is responsible for sponsorship solicitation and execution, fund raising initiatives, community outreach, public relations, recruitment of and collaboration with the local Community Council and strategic partnership development.