Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
January 29, 2026

AHA Honors Innovators Fighting Heart Disease Crisis as Costs Set to Triple

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TLDR

  • The American Heart Association's Impact with Heart program offers innovators like Mammha and ThriveLink investment and coaching to scale solutions addressing cardiovascular health barriers.
  • The American Heart Association supports community health innovators through Social Impact Funds and the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator with capital, coaching, and strategic guidance.
  • Mammha and ThriveLink are removing barriers to perinatal mental health care and essential program enrollment to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in diverse communities.
  • AI-powered voice technology from ThriveLink helps families enroll in Medicaid and food assistance by voice, overcoming internet and literacy hurdles.

Impact - Why it Matters

This news matters because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the projected tripling of costs by 2050 represents a massive burden on individuals, families, and the healthcare system. The recognition of community-based innovators like Mammha and ThriveLink highlights a critical shift toward addressing the root causes of poor health, such as mental health support gaps and administrative barriers to essential benefits. For readers, this signals that scalable, practical solutions are being developed to improve access to care and resources, which can directly impact their health outcomes and financial well-being. It underscores the importance of supporting initiatives that bridge equity gaps in healthcare, ultimately aiming to reduce the prevalence of heart disease and its devastating effects on communities.

Summary

In a stark projection that underscores a growing public health crisis, at least 60% of U.S. adults are expected to develop some form of cardiovascular disease by 2050, driven by an aging, more diverse population and rising risk factors. This alarming trend is forecast to triple related healthcare costs, with heart disease and stroke already claiming more lives annually than all cancers combined. The American Heart Association (AHA) emphasizes that achieving optimal cardiovascular health extends beyond clinical care, requiring equitable access to coverage, transportation, nutritious food, and stress-reducing support—factors that are often hindered by systemic barriers.

To combat this looming crisis with innovative, community-focused solutions, the AHA has recognized two mission-driven organizations through its 2026 Impact with Heart program. This initiative, powered by the Association's Social Impact Funds and the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator™, provides investment capital, coaching, and strategic guidance to scale health innovations. The honorees were showcased during a ceremony in New York City, highlighting scalable ideas designed to make essential healthcare benefits more accessible nationwide and remove persistent barriers to care.

The 2026 Impact with Heart awardees are Mammha and ThriveLink, two organizations tackling critical social drivers of health with technology-driven approaches. Mammha, a Miami-based Social Impact Funds portfolio company led by CEO Maureen Fura, transforms perinatal mental healthcare through a text- and web-based platform that streamlines screening, referral, and treatment for maternal depression and anxiety, offering culturally relevant support. ThriveLink, a St. Louis-headquartered EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator alumnus founded by CEO Kwamane Liddell, uses AI-powered voice technology to help families enroll in essential programs like Medicaid, food assistance, and utility support by voice, overcoming internet and literacy hurdles. A recent investment from the Social Impact Funds is accelerating ThriveLink's reach, demonstrating the AHA's commitment to funding scalable solutions. As AHA CEO Nancy Brown stated, these innovators exemplify what's possible when mission-driven leaders receive the resources and trust to scale ideas that improve lives, reflecting the Association's broader efforts through its venture philanthropy and accelerator programs to address health equity and the social determinants of cardiovascular health.

Source Statement

This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, AHA Honors Innovators Fighting Heart Disease Crisis as Costs Set to Triple

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