Texas Heart Powered advocate Andre Scott unites Waco to ‘spark’ action for health care access

High-energy American Heart Association Heart Spark event equips Texans to share their stories and drive meaningful policy change

On a spring Tuesday in Waco, the room was alive with energy—but the real spark wasn’t in the lights or the microphones. It was the stories.

At the heart of the gathering stood Andre Scott, an American Heart Association Heart Powered advocate and Baylor University sophomore pre-med major from Humble, Texas. An aspiring physician, Andre was an energetic reminder of what’s possible when one volunteer makes it their purpose to help lawmakers understand the need for health care access in Texas.

That mission came to life in Waco at Heart Spark, a new ideas forum designed to inspire the next generation of grassroots advocates in the Lone Star State.

From one voice to many

Waco Family Medicine set the stage for the high-energy event, which blended issue education and personal storytelling to equip Texans to speak confidently and elevate the urgency of adequate, affordable, accessible health care coverage.

Dozens of students, community leaders and advocates attended, representing several generations of change-makers.

Heart Spark was about more than learning facts or statistics. It was about confidence. It was about community. And it was about reminding people that meaningful change doesn’t begin in distant halls of power—it begins when everyday people decide their stories matter.

“Getting involved isn’t about being an expert – it’s about showing up and speaking out,” Andre said in his remarks as keynote speaker at Heart Spark Waco. “When we share our stories and stand together, we remind Texans that change doesn’t start in Austin or Washington, D.C. – it starts with us, right here in Waco.”

Why access to care matters

For too many Texans, health insurance remains out of reach. Throughout the event, attendees shared deeply personal experiences – of supporting patients or loved ones through long, emotionally exhausting, and financially devastating medical journeys. These stories underscored a hard truth: when health care coverage isn’t accessible, lives are put at risk.

Through the American Heart Association’s Heart Powered grassroots movement, advocates across Texas are working to change that reality. Ensuring meaningful access to health care strengthens preventive care, reduces disparities in treatment and supports a health care workforce equipped to deliver high-quality care in both rural and urban communities.

Simply put: Access to health care coverage saves lives.

A spark that becomes a movement

Heart Spark didn’t end when the final speaker stepped off the stage. Participants left with new skills, new connections and a renewed sense of possibility – ready to speak with lawmakers, share their stories and stand up for healthier futures in their communities.

“Too many Texans remain uninsured, but together we can spark change,” Andre said.

And that is at the heart of the American Heart Association’s mission: turning survival into advocacy, stories into action and moments like these into movements that save lives.

Ready to be part of the change? Join the Heart Powered movement by texting HEALTH to 46839 or visiting heartpowered.org/join.

Photos courtesy the American Heart Association; You can find the full event photo gallery HERE.

At Heart Spark Waco, keynote speaker Andre Scott shared that Texas is dead last in health care access, in hopes of inspiring a new generation of American Heart Association Heart Powered advocates.

Heart Spark Waco attendees learned how to speak up and speak out with lawmakers to make real policy change for health care access for everyone, everywhere. Andre Scott, keynote speaker, (front right), encouraged Wacoans to make their voices heard.

Additional Resources:

• The American Heart Association’s progress toward expanding access to care
• Presidential Advisory as it appeared in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association