The American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region (AHA GWR) Community Impact Team was the recipient of a one-year grant from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) to help improve the health of Montgomery County, MD residents with high blood pressure. HIF offers funding to nonprofits in the county to improve high-quality and accessible health initiatives.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is referred to as the silent killer because it often has no obvious symptoms to indicate that something is wrong. Hypertension is a leading health concern for Montgomery County residents, with 38.4% of the population already diagnosed with high blood pressure.
To address this issue in the community, the AHA is working with Care For Your Health Inc., a growing nonprofit health organization that provides low-and no-cost medical assistance; Mansfield Kaseman Community Clinic, a health care facility that provides quality, culturally appropriate primary medical care, preventive services and patient navigation; and Mercy Health Clinic, a leading health care facility committed to providing high-quality medical care, health education and pharmaceuticals to eligible patients free of charge.
In addition to providing support to health care organizations, the AHA is also collaborating with community-based organizations including So What Else, a growing food assistance provider that offers fresh produce, clothing, diapers and youth leadership courses; and Clifton Park Baptist Church, a faith-based organization that regularly distributes food and goods to the community.
These five organizations implemented either blood pressure cuff loaner programs or blood pressure stations to screen and refer individuals to primary care providers and receive educational materials.
Self-measured blood pressure monitoring is an evidence-based strategy that allows individuals to regularly measure their blood pressure at home and outside health care organization settings. This practice not only empowers patients but enables care team members to better diagnose and manage hypertension, leading to improved health outcomes.
Blood pressure screening stations are designated sites in the community where individuals can measure their blood pressure and receive educational materials and referrals to health care providers if needed.
These initiatives promote education and awareness of hypertension in under-resourced communities and enable residents to manage their blood pressure at home or at screening stations in their area.
In the first six months of the grant, over 400 Montgomery County community residents have been positively impacted by the blood pressure loaner programs and screening stations. The population demographics included 61% women, 38% men and 1% of other gender identities. The population ethnicities ranged from 56% Hispanic individuals, 16% other ethnic individuals, 15% Black individuals, 8% Asian individuals and 1% White individuals.
Clifton Park Baptist Church has shared multiple success stories, including one about Randi, the lead implementer:
“On her very first day of checking blood pressure at the station, a young mother with two kids came in and she was a recent immigrant, she did not speak any English. When Randi checked her blood pressure it was high, but she was unaware of it. Naturally, she was shocked. Randi gave her the addresses and numbers of the free clinics and a blood pressure monitor to borrow. Since then, Randi has seen her multiple times when she was returning the monitor and borrowing it again.”
This is just one example of the impact these stations and loaner initiatives have on the community. The AHA is pleased with the outcomes from the first six months of the Healthcare Initiative Foundation grant and excited to see what can be accomplished in the next six months.
Written by Madison Knapp, Community Health Coordinator
To learn more about how to implement this initiative in your community, email Lucía Zegarra at Lucia.Zegarra@heart.org.