Florence Champagne is an accomplished Author, Artist, and Advocate. In 2014 she launched her own non-profit called the Open My Heart Foundation. Their mission is to help eliminate heart health disparities among African American Women. Florence suffered a heart attack in March 2012, and as a result, she had emergency open heart surgery. Due to being uninsured at the time, she did not readily receive the diagnostic testing and life-saving treatment. She found that she was not alone, and met other African-American women along the way, who were either uninsured or underinsured, which impacted their ability to receive treatment, thus, creating a life-threatening disparity. She found purpose in her pain as she provides education, support, and advocacy through the Open My Heart Foundation.

 

In 2012 Florence became a national spokesperson and champion for WomenHeart, a National Coalition of Women who support Women with heart disease. She attended and graduated from the Science & Leadership Symposium at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where she received training to be a Community Educator and Support Network Coordinator for women heart patients. She has had the opportunity to attend the Dr. Oz show where she posed important questions about health care and disparities. She spoke on Capitol Hill about heart health disparities, written articles in Women’s Health Magazine, and appears in several patient educational videos for patients, doctors, and medical professionals. Through her advocacy, education, and speaking engagements, Florence has reached approximately 6,000 women.

 

Florence has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Howard University. She is a published author writing her first book, Inez’s Granddaughter. She is originally from Philadelphia and currently resides in Upper Marlboro, MD.