10 years of walking with heart at Medline
By Medline Newsroom Staff | September 23, 2025
10 years of walking with heart at Medline
Employees, surrounding community sync up their steps for heart health awareness at annual AHA event at company headquarters
For Stephen Joseph, the desire to warn others about the risk of heart disease goes back to when he was very young.
“It was 37 years ago,” said Joseph, associate project manager for sustainability at Medline. “My grandfather on my dad’s side passed away. Living in India, there was very little awareness around cardiovascular health and prevention, and that lack of knowledge contributed to his early passing.”
Fast forward to Sunday, when Joseph was one of more than 600 people – employees from Medline and other Chicago-area companies, plus other members of the community – who joined together at Medline’s headquarters in Northfield, Ill., for the American Heart Association’s annual North Shore Heart Walk. The group walked either a 1- or 3-mile loop around Medline’s campus, helping to raise money for the AHA through donations from themselves, family, friends and co-workers. Funds from these walks are used to increase CPR training accessibility, increase funding for research and enhance overall awareness and preparedness.
“Participating in the Heart Walk is important to me because it is a way to honor my grandfather’s memory,” said Joseph, who was joined by colleagues on the Medline sustainability team in his first time walking at Medline. “I want to be part of the movement to help educate people on heart health. It’s a personal mission to help others live longer, healthier lives.”
Claiming more than 900,000 lives in 2023, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with cardiovascular disease as the underlying cause. Every year, more than 800,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack.
“We’re proud to continue this tradition of supporting heart health,” said Marley Leitner, director of sustainability reporting and communications. “At Medline, improving clinical outcomes is central to our mission, so supporting this cause helps us make meaningful progress toward that goal while also advancing our commitment to health equity in the communities we serve.”
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Jenny Lee, chief marketing officer, welcomes walkers to Medline's campus.
Some of the walkers Sunday have firsthand experience with cardiac incidents, including Medline public affairs specialist Evan Allison, a first-time participant whose connection to heart health began the day he was born.
“I was born with, and still have to this day, a heart murmur,” said Allison, who later, at age 5, suffered a stroke in his occipital lobe, the region of the brain responsible for sight. Although his long-term side effects from both issues have been limited, his medical history has been a motivating factor in his life.
“I’m extremely fortunate to be where I am today,” he said. “Many of those who are impacted by heart disease and strokes have their lives changed forever. It’s important to walk for those who cannot, and for me, it’s extremely important to walk for the children who have been in my shoes. Heart disease can change the lives of anyone at any age, and I’m proud to be an advocate.”
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Stephen Joseph (foreground) with Medline colleagues mid-walk
Read more stories about Medline’s involvement in the community.
Medline Newsroom Staff
Medline Newsroom Staff
Medline's newsroom staff researches and reports on the latest news and trends in healthcare.