President of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore to lead American Heart Association

The American Heart Association (AHA) has announced its national officers for the 2009-10 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Neil M. Meltzer, president and chief operating officer of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and senior vice president of LifeBridge Health, is chairman. Meltzer will be responsible for the association's business affairs, public relations and fund raising, and will preside over all Board of Directors and Administrative Cabinet meetings.

Meltzer began volunteering for the association in 1995 and has been a member of the national Board of Directors and Administrative Cabinet since 2005. He is a past member of the association's Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Board of Directors.

Founded in 1924, the AHA is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases -- America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers -- the AHA funds cutting-edge research, conducts lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocates to protect public health.