Nashville General Hospital Marketing Leader Nominated for AHA Woman of Impact

Nashville, TN, February 13, 2024: Nashville General Hospital (NGH), the state’s leading essential hospital, serving Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County is pleased to announce that Marketing Manager, Kaylyn Harris has been nominated for the American Heart Association (AHA) Go Red for Women movement’s Woman of Impact campaign. The campaign, in its third year, is a fundraising competition between nominees to raise funds and awareness for heart disease and its impact on women. This year, nine nominees come from diverse backgrounds and industries including healthcare, real estate, and marketing. The nominees also compete in receiving points for participation in educational activities, videos, and training sessions.

“Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and disparities in who is affected by heart disease in our community are unacceptable,” said Lisa Howard, Impact Campaign Director at the Middle TN American Heart Association. “The Woman of Impact Campaign peer-to-peer campaign is structured so that there is a connection and passion between the nominees that allows them to communicate, educate and spread awareness in a more intentional way. We are excited to have Kaylyn as a nominee this year. She has been a powerful volunteer with us in her role at Nashville General Hospital and brings a wealth a resources and opportunities for education.” 

As the only African American nominee for the Middle TN region, Kaylyn will focus her campaign efforts on how cardiovascular diseases disproportionately effect African American woman. It is a fact that cardiovascular diseases kill more than 50,000 Black women annually and among Black women ages 20 and older, nearly 59% have cardiovascular disease.

“At the age of 25, I experienced my first warning signs of stroke. It took 30 seconds for the feeling to return to my face and fingers, and I was scared. After all, I considered myself a perfectly healthy young woman and had never experienced something like this before,” said Kaylyn Harris. I want to use my platform to educate other women about the warning signs and remind them that stroke does not discriminate. We’re raising much-needed funds for Go Red for Women and working to improve the health of our communities - to ensure every woman has an equitable opportunity to live a long and healthy life.”

NGH leadership is in full support of Ms. Harris’ awareness and fundraising efforts. Interim Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Herman Williams is Chairman of the American Heart Association Nashville and CEO, Dr. Joseph Webb is a board member. 

States Dr. Webb, “Kaylyn looks like the picture of perfect health, yet her skin color alone puts her at a higher risk for heart disease.. We must ensure all women of color and their loved ones are aware of these staggering health disparities and make certain they have access to preventive healthcare, specialists, and even basic life support (BLS) training.”