The Greater Washington Region has always been a leader in advancing heart health policies, including tobacco control, reducing food insecurity and making schools and communities more prepared for cardiac emergencies.
However, many health inequities remain. In the Greater Washington Region, 29.5% of adults have hypertension, 1 in 5 high school students use electronic cigarettes and 1 in 3 residents are food insecure. Across DC, Maryland and Virginia, heart disease and stroke claim over 41,667 lives each year.
To equitably improve health and survival outcomes across the region, we’re advocating for policy change that expands access to healthy foods and water, removes barriers to quality care, reduces tobacco use – and prepares school and community leaders to respond in case of cardiac arrest.
“We’ve made great policy gains in the Greater Washington Region, but we have an opportunity to do more to help our communities thrive,” said Yolandra Hancock, M.D., MPH, community physician, pediatrician and community and partnerships chair for the board of directors of the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region. “When communities across the region have better access to healthy foods, hydration, blood pressure management, roadmaps for quitting tobacco and cardiac emergency response resources, everyone benefits. We look forward to working with lawmakers across DC, Maryland, and Virginia in the coming year to highlight these strategies and come together around solutions.”
Building on 100 years of impact and continuing in our vision to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, these are our Greater Washington policy priorities for 2025:
Ensuring schools and school-based athletic facilities have Cardiac Emergency Response Plans so that if a student, teacher or staff member goes into cardiac arrest, there is a plan to act quickly and improve survival rates.
Increasing funding for CPR in schools and up-to-date training kits so that all students will learn the lifesaving skill of CPR before they graduate.
Securing healthy school meals for all so that all DC students are guaranteed free, healthy school meals, regardless of their ability to pay.
Increasing the District’s tobacco tax by at least $1 per pack, along with e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to decrease tobacco use and help people quit.
Improving water access in schools to ensure students have consistent access to clean drinking water and bottle filling stations.
Broadening healthy food access by expanding SNAP healthy food programs and expanding healthy food prescription programs, like Produce Rx, across the region.
Expand Medicaid coverage for self-measured blood pressure programs to ensure patients with hypertension have quality care.
You can read the full policy agenda here.
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