The Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has become of one only 96 adult and six pediatric centers in the national approved by Medicare.

Medicare certification allows heart transplant centers to receive federal reimbursement for heart transplant operations on Medicare beneficiaries.

According to Dr. Paul J. Mather, director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center at the Jefferson Heart Institute, Medicare based its decision primarily on evidence that Jefferson’s program meets or surpasses criteria for certification by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer will hold a national conference for women living with advanced breast cancer on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott West, 111 Crawford Ave. in West Conshohocken.

The event will offer information on the latest research and workshops and discussion groups on topics including symptoms, side effects, clinical trials, living with uncertainty, end-of-life concerns, financial planning, employment and disability. Registration is $35 per person.

The organization will offer a limited number of travel scholarships and fee waivers to help women in need attend the event.

For registration information visit lbbc.org or call Living Beyond Breast Cancer at (610) 645-4567.

The 35th Annual American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon will be held Sunday from the Ben Franklin Bridge to the Buena Vista Camping Park in New Jersey.

The event is designed to raise money for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient service programs. More than 5,000 riders and volunteers are hoping to reach a goal of $2 million in just one day.

The Bike-a-thon is considered the largest single-day American Cancer Society fundraiser in Pennsylvania, raising $1.7 million last year and close to $12 million in its 35-year history.

For information visit www.acsbike.org or call (215) 985-5400.

The Wellness Community offers an educational class designed for people newly diagnosed with cancer and/or their support persons on July 19 and Aug. 16 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and July 23 and Aug. 20 from 5 to 6 p.m. at The Suzanne Morgan Center at Ridgeland, Chamounix Drive, West Fairmount Park.

The class will provide information about the cancer vocabulary, partnering with the health team and finding and evaluating resources. No registration is needed.

Throughout the summer, a special promotion will be held at all American Red Cross blood collection sites in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Donors who come to a Red Cross donor center or a blood drive now through Sept. 16 will be entered into two grand prize drawings with a chance to win $3,500 worth of gas for one year. The summer months are typically a challenging time for the American Red Cross to collect enough blood. In order to meet the daily needs to area patients, 2,000 units of blood must be collected every day in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

For information about donating blood visit www.pleasegiveblood.org or call 1-(800)-448-3543.

PathWays PA, in partnership with the Delaware County Healthcare Employers Consortium and Delaware County Community College, offers free classes for certified nursing assistants and home health aides in order to help them advance within their careers. The classes are also open to people considering becoming certified nursing assistants.

The four courses taught at DCCC cover skin care and nutrition, mental health, leadership skills and physical therapy skills. Students can earn one free college credit for each course that they complete.

For information about the program call Jane Jordan at (610) 543-5022.

Compiled by Ayana Jones

The Epilepsy Foundation has partnered with Ortho-McNeil Neurologics to host the first national Walk for Epilepsy on March 31 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Thousands of participants will make the trek from Constitution Avenue to Constitution Drive on the National Mall. The walk will engage people with epilepsy, their caretakers, their doctors, government leaders and organizations committed to the epilepsy mission.

For information visit www.walkforepilepsy.org.