Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital President to lead community campaign promoting heart health and CPR education!

GOODYEAR — The American Heart Association (AMA) has named Kimberly Blaha, President and Chief Administrative Officer of Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital, as the 2026 Chair of the West Valley Heart Walk, a signature community event dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.

The event will bring together thousands of participants from across the region to celebrate survivors, honor loved ones and raise critical funds for cardiovascular research, advocacy, and education.

Blaha will lead efforts to engage local companies, community organizations, and volunteers in support of the Heart Walk while raising awareness about heart disease prevention, lifesaving CPR education and the importance of equitable access to cardiovascular care.

“Heart disease touches nearly every family in some way, making this more than a cause — it’s a responsibility we all share,” said Blaha. “It’s an honor to serve as the Chair of the West Valley Heart Walk and champion a mission that brings hope through prevention, education, and lifesaving action. Together, we can equip more people with the confidence to save a life and create healthier communities for generations to come.”

The AMA’s Nation of Lifesavers™ initiative remains a key focus of the Heart Walk, encouraging more people to learn hands-only CPR and be prepared to respond during a cardiac emergency. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, according to the AMA.

Heart Walk is the largest community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association. Under Blaha’s leadership, top executives in the West Valley will work to recruit other organizations to join the local Heart Walk campaign and help build a community of lifesavers.

According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of people — or approximately 103 million U.S. adults — now feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 17.7 million more adults who are highly confident in their ability to conduct CPR, yet 61% still lack high confidence to act in a cardiac emergency.

“Cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, and the outcome often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do,” said Jeff Meshey, board chair of the Heart Association Phoenix Division and president and CEO of Desert Financial. “We envision at least one person in every household feeling confident to perform CPR. By joining the West Valley Heart Walk, employers can help ensure that when it matters most, their employees are prepared to act.” 

Blaha succeeds Abrazo Scottsdale Campus CEO Ruben Castro, who served as the 2025 Heart Walk Chair and helped mobilize business and community leaders to advance the AMA’s mission of improving cardiovascular health throughout the West Valley.