who we are
Mended Hearts...
a national nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Heart Association, has been offering the gift of hope to heart disease patients, their families and caregivers for more than 50 years. Recognized for its role in facilitating a positive patient-care experience, Mended Hearts partners with 460 hospitals and rehabilitation clinics and offers services to heart patients through visiting programs, support group meetings and educational forums. Our mission is to "inspire hope in heart disease patients and their families."
Because Mended Hearts is made up of the very kinds of people it 
serves—heart patients, their families, and others impacted by heart disease, its members draw on personal experience as they help others. Mended Hearts support groups help people understand that there can be a rich, rewarding life after heart disease. Members listen, share their experiences, learn from healthcare professionals and volunteer to talk to other heart patients about what they may face including lifestyle changes, depression, recovery, and treatment. Annually, Mended Hearts volunteers make 227,000 hospital visits to patients and 30,000 visits to family members and caregivers.
Mended Hearts hosts an annual leadership conference to train volunteers and provide networking opportunities. The national office also publishes a quarterly magazine, Heartbeat, to communicate valuable information, chapter news and inspirational stories.
Learn more about our programs and how you can join Mended Hearts! Or find out how you can help.
Virginia Peninsula Chapter
Chapter 119 is made up of heart patients, their caregivers, and health care professionals interested in helping other heart patients. Members come from all walks of life and represent all adult age groups. We're glad to be alive and help others! The chapter was chartered in December 1981and has over 200 members.
Our members live on Virginia's Hampton Roads Peninsula, starting at Williamsburg, extending south to Smithfield, Newport News and Hampton, coming back up the coast of the York river through, Poquoson and Yorktown, and extending east and north to Gloucester. Need directions to attend a meeting? Click here.
The Purpose of Mended Hearts
The purpose of The Mended Hearts, Inc. and this organization is to offer help, support, and encouragement to heart disease patients and their families. Members achieve the objectives of Mended Hearts by:
- Visiting, with physician approval, and offering encouragement and support to heart disease patients and their families or caregivers through local visiting programs. Accredited visitors visit in hospitals, homes, telephone, and through the Internet.
- Distributing information of specific educational value to members of The Mended Hearts, Inc. and to heart disease patients, their families and caregivers.
- Establishing and maintaining a program of assistance to physicians, nurses, medical professionals and healthcare organizations in their work with heart disease patients, their families and caregivers.
- Cooperating with other organizations in education and research activities pertaining to heart disease.
- Establishing and assisting heart disease rehabilitation programs for members and their families/caregivers.
- Planning and conducting suitable programs of social and educational interest for members, for heart disease patients and their families and caregivers.
Affiliations
American Heart Association: The Mended Hearts, Inc., in general and Chapter 119 in particular, is proud to be affiliated with the American Heart Association. Both organizations support each others goals and objectives and are committed to helping heart disease patients and families/caregivers. Chapter 119 is affiliated with the local office of the Virginia Council of the American Heart Association in Virginia Beach.
We are proud to work with the Riverside Regional Medical Center (RRMC), a part of the Riverside Health System, in our joint objective of improving the health of heart patients. Chapter 119 has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with RRMC. Our accredited visitors meet with heart patients, and their families, before and after their open heart surgery to assist them in dealing with their heart disease. Our accredited visitors make over 1,000 of these physician approved visits each year.