| American Heart Association | 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231 |
| www.americanheart.org | (800) 242-8721 Fax: (214) 706-1191 |
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Cardiac kids
Founded in 1924 by six New York cardiologists, the American Heart Association (AHA) is today the nation's leading organization founded to combat the nation's leading cardiovascular diseases. The not-for-profit, voluntary health organization has remained privately-funded to this day. Over 4 million volunteers in more than 2,200 international locations work non-stop to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and strokes.
The prevention business
The AHA features three main business enterprises: Cardiovascular Science, Cardiovascular Education and Community Programs, and Revenue Generation. On average, over 32 percent of the $429 million in annual revenue goes toward funding scientific research projects around the world; five Nobel Prize winners have benefited from such grants at some point in their careers. The AHA also offers public and professional education programs that reach over 30 million Americans each year; it conducts community service programs; and it lobbies for public policy initiatives.
New efforts
The organization has recently been involved in a wide range of new efforts to combat heart disease. One area of concentration has been the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest by increasing the availability of portable automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The AHA has also worked to protect employees from secondhand smoke in the workplace. It has seen its labor bear fruit, such as the Smoke-Free Workplace Act in California, but it continues to push for a ban on smoking in all public places. Indeed, the tobacco industry, and the government officials it successfully lobbies, have been regular targets of AHA criticism. Also, the AHA has recently contracted the Cole Computer Corporation to develop the electronic delivery system of the agency's Emergency Cardiovascular Care International Guidelines 2000. With these types of projects in the works, the AHA has established a quantifiable goal: a 25 percent reduction in coronary heart disease, stroke, and risk by 2008.
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The American Heart Association favors candidates who have substantial experience relevant to the organization's goals. Applicants can obtain information about specific job openings through the AHA's employment Web page, located at www.americanheart.org/Whats_News/jobs/index.html. About 50 of the AHA's affiliates also hire new employees. Consult the AHA's job hotline for listings of openings and locations. Additionally, affiliates "place ads in the local paper," and "there are quite a few employee referrals."
According to one insider, "a lot of times there seems to be quite a few rounds of interviews." Explains another, "Being an environment that decides most everything based on consensus . . . the interview process can sometimes take a long time." Fortunately, interviews are said to be "pretty low-stress," although they "depend on how comfortable you feel with the interview process in general." The end result is that the AHA's "good interview techniques pay off" in the form of quality hires.
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On a mission
American Heart Association professionals work among a "massive" volunteer force and are "fiercely dedicated" to the organization's mission. The culture is "very people-oriented [and] very team-oriented," says an insider. "People who succeed at the cost of others do not last long." The dress code, like many other aspects of the office atmosphere, varies by affiliate. Some offices are business casual, even allowing jeans on super-casual Fridays, while others are considerably more formal. Regardless of the office though, "Business attire is expected when involved in . . . meetings with key volunteers or other people outside of the organization."
Intangible rewards
At AHA, "pay raises are keyed directly to performance ratings, and performance ratings are based on how well you achieve or exceed expectation on the performance standards that you prepare for yourself with management input/approval." While "the pay scale compares poorly to the business world - and the AHA offers few perks" the "intangible" rewards of community service make efforts worthwhile." Says one insider, "You'll find better pay elsewhere . . . but you'll be less likely to suffer from stress-related problems [here]. For someone who values what we do and appreciates the culture we're in, the pay is most definitely competitive." Furthermore, the "benefits are better than any other organization I've been involved with."
A pack of life savers
Employees call their work "intensely time consuming" and say that it requires "strong commitment and devotion." But for the true believers, the sacrifices are more than worthwhile. "Sometimes when things get rough you have to stop and remember the purpose of your job--you are saving lives," says one employee. "That right there is the most important thing that I think the AHA is all about. The difference that you will be making will save the lives of older adults as well as children and infants. It is amazing when you see the effect you have on a community." Simply put, "The AHA is not for everyone, but for those who appreciate our mission and culture, there is no better place."
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Human Resources
(214) 373-6300
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Research dissemination;Journals;Conferences;Professional education;Community service programs;Public policy initiatives;Public education
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