HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - December 20, 2010) - SHAPE, The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (http://www.shapesociety.org), a nonprofit organization that promotes early detection and preventive intervention to reduce heart attack risk, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jay Donnella as executive director. In his new role, Donnella is responsible for spearheading the implementation of SHAPE's strategic plans and raising awareness that heart attack can be eradicated if new preventive strategies are adopted.
Despite significant strides in detecting and treating heart attack risk, heart disease remains the leading cause of death, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. SHAPE promotes education and research related to the early detection of heart attack risk in apparently healthy people who are "Vulnerable Patients" with undetected atherosclerosis. SHAPE believes the widespread adoption of scientifically proven atherosclerosis tests will reduce heart attacks.
"Jay is a seasoned healthcare professional with a sound understanding and steadfast commitment to SHAPE's bold vision of eradicating heart attacks during our lifetime," said JoAnne Zawitoski, chair of the SHAPE Board of Directors.
Current SHAPE initiatives in which Donnella will be involved include work with the SHAPE Task Force to update the SHAPE Guideline, and efforts to promote SHAPE Provider Certification and SHAPE Certified Centers of Excellence, which encourage best practices for early detection and treatment of heart attack risk in apparently healthy people by medical professionals and healthcare institutions, respectively. Donnella will also initiate programs to increase public awareness of heart attack risk among apparently healthy adults.
Prior to joining SHAPE, Donnella served in various management positions in insurance and human resources. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University.
About SHAPE
Based in Houston, the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) is a non-profit organization that promotes education and research related to prevention, detection and treatment of hidden heart attack risk. SHAPE is committed to raising public awareness about revolutionary discoveries that are opening exciting avenues to prevent heart attacks. SHAPE's mission is to eradicate heart attacks in the 21st century. Additional information is available on the organization's Web site at www.shapesociety.org.
About the SHAPE Task Force
The SHAPE Task Force is a group of world-renowned cardiovascular specialists who have agreed to participate in SHAPE's initiative to provide their expertise to help develop a screening guideline for detection and treatment of healthy individuals who have no sign or symptom of heart disease but have hidden plaques and thereby are at risk of a near future heart attack and stroke.
SHAPE Task Force Members:
Daniel S. Berman, M.D., Matthew J. Budoff, M.D., Michael H. Davidson, M.D., Jim Ehrlich, M.D., Raimund Erbel, M.D., Erling Falk, M.D., Ph.D., Steven B. Feinstein, M.D., Jeffrey Fine, Ph.D., Kirk Geter, D.P.M., Craig Hartley, Ph.D., Harvey S. Hecht, M.D., Howard Hodis, M.D., Sanjay Kaul, M.D., M.P.H., Iftikhar J. Kullo, M.D., Daniel Lane, M.D., Ph.D., Marge Lovell, R.N., Ralph Metcalfe, Ph.D., Tasneem Z. Naqvi, M.D., Morteza Naghavi, M.D., Paolo Raggi, M.D., George P. Rodgers, M.D., PK Shah, M.D., David Spence, M.D., H. Robert Superko, M.D., Henrik Sillesen, M.D., Ph.D., Pierre-Jean Touboul, M.D.
SHAPE Task Force Advisors:
Valentin Fuster, M.D., Roger Blumenthal, M.D., Ph.D., Leslee Shaw, Ph.D.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Daniel Keeney, APR
DPK Public Relations
832.467.2904