Spotlighting an international honoree

American Heart Association volunteers tirelessly champion longer, healthier lives around the world. Their efforts were celebrated at the National Volunteer Awards on 23 June in Irving, Texas, where Johanna Contreras, MD, MSc, FACC, FAHA, FASE FHFSA, received the Ron Haddock International Impact Award for her work uniting clinicians and communities across borders.

From her early experiences in Colombia to leading efforts such as Corazón de Mamá, Contreras has championed equitable cardiovascular care, especially for women, demonstrating how collaboration and trust can transform outcomes. Corazón de Mamá, a joint campaign of the Heart Association, InterAmerican Society of Cardiology and Interamerican Heart Foundation, has expanded early detection and care in more than 27 countries.

“I want every woman everywhere to be the healthiest version of themselves possible,” Contreras says.