Event Details
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
- Check-In
- Silent Auction
- Refreshing Fruit-Infused Water
- Photo Booth
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.*
- Heart-Healthy Lunch served
- Survivor Story and Panel
- Open Your Heart Story & Special Appeal
*Silent Auction Will Close at 12:15 p.m.
Our Panelists
Dr. Ramez Smairat, MD, Heart and Vascular Clinics Manhattan
Dr. Ramez Smairat is an interventional cardiologist at Heart and Vascular Clinics in Manhattan. He is board certified in interventional cardiology, internal medicine, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiovascular medicine and vascular imaging. Dr. Smairat graduated from the University of Jordan and completed his residency and fellowships at the University of Miami, University of Florida and Mayo Clinic. He focuses on elevating awareness of illnesses and helping patients better manage them. He is interested in the educational aspect of medicine and enjoys taking on an educator role with his patients.
Annette Helms, APRN, Stormont Vail Health
Annette Helms, APRN, is an advanced practice provider at Cotton O’Neil Manhattan Cardiology. Her main goal when meeting with her patients is to help them better understand their conditions, as well as their treatment and management options. She believes strongly that while we can’t change our genetics, we can control what we eat and how we treat our bodies. In her free time, Annette enjoys spending time with her adult daughter and likes to exercise her green thumb, spending time in her garden and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.
Katee Nelson, RN, BSN, Ascension Via Christi
Katee has been a registered nurse at Ascension Via Christi Hospital since 2007. She currently works in outpatient surgery. Katee, who has a twin sister, was born with aortic stenosis. She had her first surgery when she was 9 months old to correct her valve. She had her first aortic valve replacement when she was 8 years old, where they placed a mechanical valve. Katee’s most recent valve replacement surgery was she was 25 years old. At this time, she chose to have a tissue valve placed so she could try to have children. Katee had a pacemaker placed due to the scar tissue that was found during the surgery. She and her husband, Brian, have two children Kynslee, age 7, and Keaton, age 6.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Wear Red! Just a little pop or a great red dress, show off your Go Red style. Business casual preferred.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media will be used throughout the day to increase awareness. Please use #GoRedMHK to post all pictures, messages, etc.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
This year's luncheon will include a keynote speaker. Stay tuned for details!
SILENT AUCTION
The auction will open a few days before the event and will remain open until event day, June 14th at 12:15pm. The auction will be accessible via online bidding so don't forget to bring your phone fully charged! "Bid Buddies" will be available to help you at the luncheon.
To bid from your mobile phone, you do NOT need to download an app. The site will open in your internet browser (i.e. Safari for iPhones). You can access the mobile bidding site through your phone or computer.
If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Melcher at jennifer.melcher@heart.org .
Chair
2019 Go Red for Women Chairperson
Bob Copple
President, Ascension Via Christi
Bob Copple, an experienced administrative leader in Catholic healthcare, returned to his roots with Ascension Via Christi and in Kansas in May 2016 when he became president of Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan.
Prior to serving in his current role, Copple was president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health Initiatives’ Memorial Community Hospital & Health System in Blair, Nebraska, and also as operations leader for campus and system diagnostics at CHI and Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.
A licensed professional engineer with more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience, Copple served as director of Facilities Management for Via Christi’s Wichita hospitals from 1996 to 2001.
Copple and his wife, Kim, were excited to move back to the Manhattan area where he earned both is bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in industrial engineering from Kansas State University. The move also brought the couple closer to siblings and other family members, including his two children, Allie and Ethan, who both attend KSU.
