The American Heart Association is deepening its commitment to equitable health throughout the Greater Washington Region (GWR) by expanding efforts to combat chronic disease. Our work focuses on addressing nutrition security, improving blood pressure control and increasing access to lifesaving Hands-Only CPR education. Through strong collaboration with local organizations, we’ve reached hundreds of thousands of residents, many in historically under-resourced communities—empowering individuals and families with the tools, knowledge and access to lead longer, healthier lives.
At the core of our initiatives is a focus on equitable health, ensuring that economically disadvantaged and rural communities receive the care and support they need. Our work is organized into four key areas:
- Access to Care: Preserving and expanding Medicaid coverage and increasing enrollment in the Affordable Care Act
- Quality Care: Enhancing services across clinics, hospitals, and post-acute facilities
- CPR: Boosting rates of bystander-initiated CPR to improve emergency outcomes
- Health Factors: Promoting blood pressure control to support better Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic health and strengthen primary care
These priorities are supported by impactful programs such as Nation of Lifesavers, Get with the Guidelines & Certification and TARGET: BP.
These efforts come to life locally through a wide range of community-based initiatives that are empowering residents to take meaningful steps toward better health. Below are examples of the work we can achieve through the support of community leaders, donors and our funders:
Prince George’s County
Hyattsville church embraces nutrition policy to support Hispanic and migrant families
Ebenezer Church of God in Hyattsville has embraced the Association’s nutrition policy, offering weekly bilingual sessions with a dietitian every Saturday. Serving 1,435 people each month through food distributions, the church also organizes mobile health screenings, back-to-school fairs and other events tailored to the Hispanic and migrant communities.
Montgomery County
Building healthier communities with UpCounty Hub
The UpCounty Hub in Montgomery County, Md., provides food and care services to more than 1,000 families every week. With support from the Association, the Hub has added blood pressure education, setting up screening stations at the food pantry. The Hub’s Social Services Division offers case management and connects people to essential resources like rental assistance and primary health care.
American Diversity Group Expands Access to Preventive Care
Based in Maryland, American Diversity Group (ADG) is dedicated to expanding healthcare access and promoting healthy living among underserved populations, including the uninsured, underinsured, and seniors. In collaboration with the Association, ADG is expanding access to care for underserved communities. They first launched blood pressure monitor distribution and tobacco control programs – and now, is taking it further. A new lifestyle risk screening policy identifies hypertension, obesity and chronic conditions early, connecting them to nutrition and wellness resources to support long-term care. This is community-driven care in action.
Maryland healthcare center expands hypertension and chronic disease treatment with Heart Association support
In Montgomery County, there are significant gaps in healthcare access that the Chinese Cultural and Community Service Center Clinic (CCACC) works to address. CCACC’s clinic director, Huixing (Kate) Lu, took to the blog to share how the GWR team helped the clinic expand their reach to better serve Spanish speaking patients and clients with hypertension.
Supporting equitable hypertension care in Montgomery County
Lucía Zegarra, the Association’s GWR community impact director went on “En Sintonía,” a Spanish language TV program run by the Montgomery County Council, alongside Carmen Lezama, clinic management director at Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic. The segment covered how the GWR team is working to help the local Hispanic community treat hypertension.
African American Health Program (AAHP) implements food security and tobacco screenings while improving hypertension care
Since 2016, AAHP has worked with the Association through the Target: BP initiative to enhance blood pressure management. This year, the program introduced new efforts, including screenings and referrals for food insecurity and tobacco and e-cigarette use, alongside enhanced hypertension care. Through this evolving partnership, AAHP can provide even more free clinical services that drive better health outcomes focused on African Americans and people of African descent in Montgomery County, Md.
Healthcare Initiative Foundation grant empowers Montgomery County residents
The American Heart Association received a one-year grant from the foundation to help improve the health of residents with high blood pressure. In the first six months, over 400 residents have been reached through partnerships with five local organizations, many learning for the first time that they have high blood pressure and gaining resources to treat it. Learn more.
Clifton Park Baptist Church (CPBC) launches a hypertension management initiative
Serving 4,500 households every month in Silver Spring, CPBC offers food assistance, clothing, diapers, case management, after-school programs and multilingual assistance in Amharic, Spanish and French. With support from the Association and a grant from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation, CPBC implemented a hypertension management program that connected community members to clinics and self-measured blood pressure tools.
Collaboration with UnitedHealth Group reduces barriers for patients with hypertension
The Association, with support from a two-year “Empowering Health Care” grant from UnitedHealth Group, worked alongside CCI Health & Wellness Community Service Center, the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center Clinic and the Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic. Through collaborations with these healthcare organizations, uninsured Montgomery County residents received quality hypertension and nutrition care. Read more.
Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy (ESYDA) Implements a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan
Focusing on a community of 500 families disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease, ESYDA implemented a Community Response Policy Plan for cardiac emergencies. The Association supported cardiac emergency readiness for the organization by providing CPR Anytime kits (sponsored by Elevance Health), conducting hands-only CPR demonstrations for youth, staff and parents and helping develop their Cardiac Emergency Response Plan.
Mercy Health Clinic launches self-measured blood pressure program
Mercy Health Clinic, a free clinic in Gaithersburg, serves 740 individuals with hypertension. In collaboration with the Association, the clinic can continue their self-monitoring blood pressure program and expand their support. During the pandemic, it provided blood pressure monitors to patients, though funding constraints limited its ability to continue these efforts. The clinic is currently offering these services and will now accommodate both paper records and training – giving patients who struggle with technology some comfortable options.
Care 4 Your Health(C4YH) Expands their self-monitoring blood pressure loaner program
C4YH, a nonprofit in Montgomery County, provides inclusive, multicultural healthcare to low-income adults and seniors. In 2024, with support from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation and the Association, C4YH expanded its self-measured blood pressure program to four additional community clinics. This program gives patients blood pressure monitors to use at home, helping them keep track of their blood pressure. These home measurements are added to patients’ medical records at their follow-up appointments, improving care for those at higher risk for heart disease.
The Heart Association helps back hypertension care efforts in Montgomery County
So What Else, an organization serving disadvantaged communities in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., offers a walk-up pantry, food delivery and access to necessities. It serves over 85 neighborhoods, providing free food and youth programming support and distributing 200,000 pounds of food each week. Thanks to a grant from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation, the American Heart Association was able to help So What Else establish blood pressure screening stations at their food distribution sites in North Bethesda and Gaithersburg. Community members can now be screened for hypertension and receive referrals to free or low-cost primary care providers along with their food pick-up.
Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) expands heart health efforts
Since 2022, CCACC has collaborated with the GWR team to improve hypertension outcomes for its patients. Alongside the Association, they now can formally integrate referrals to Holy Cross Health’s chronic disease self-management programs, which focus on nutrition and physical activity extending the continuum of care.
Helping Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic improve access to quality blood pressure care
Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, established to improve access to primary healthcare for uninsured and underinsured adults in Greater Rockville, Montgomery County, offers primary and specialty health services, along with pharmacy and lab tests. With the Heart Association’s support, Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic implemented a blood pressure measurement device purchase policy that improves the accuracy of the measurement devices.
Washington, D.C.
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ (UCC) champions health and wellness in D.C.
D.C.’s Covenant Baptist UCC is a faith-based organization dedicated to service and wellness, which offers weekly worship services, a food pantry and ongoing health outreach. During the pandemic, its food assistance program expanded to serve over 400 individuals each month. With support from the GWR team, Covenant Baptist UCC added a community-based blood pressure screening station, implemented a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and received CPR Anytime Kits to promote lifesaving skills this spring.
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church implements a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., serves its community with heart – offering weekly showers to individuals experiencing homelessness. Alongside the GWR team and DC’s AED rebate program, the church has implemented a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and is working to certify 25 volunteers in CPR by August 2025. With 10 CPR Anytime Kits provided by GWR team, it is equipping its congregation with lifesaving skills and deepening its impact through stronger ties with local emergency services.
The Heart of Greater Washington campaign is advancing nutrition security in meaningful ways
With support from digital services company and local sponsor, Coforma, the GWR team is partnering with six local pantries to introduce policies that encourage donations of healthier food options. This initiative is just one example of how the campaign unites individuals and businesses across the D.C. metro area to fund innovations in cardiovascular science and advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere.
Northern Virginia
Local church joins the Heart Association to empower communities with healthier eating options
The Answer Church of God in Christ in Fredericksburg has teamed up with the GWR team to promote healthier donations to food pantries. Moneka Lyons, a 2025 Woman of Impact nominee and daughter of the church’s founder, Pastor Carl McPherson, helped implement a guide for members to make nutritious contributions.
Helping Neighborhood Health improve access to quality blood pressure care
Neighborhood Health is a federally qualified health center that provides quality primary care to more than 36,000 patients across Northern Virginia, most of whom are low-income and uninsured. The health center works to ensure equitable access to accurate blood pressure care by adopting the Heart Association’s Target: BP validated device purchase policy.
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) advances community health with health and nutrition initiatives in Virginia
The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) is a non-profit organization that develops and preserves quality rental communities and health and wellness services for around 4,000 low-income and under-resourced individuals and families. Focusing on both places and people, APAH invested in the health of its residents with GWR support by implementing a blood pressure monitor loaner program in 2022. In the fall of 2023, its continued commitment to meet its residents’ needs led to the creation of a pilot food pantry.
More recently, the American Heart Association supported APAH in advancing community health and nutrition in Northern Virginia by:
- Adopting nutrition guidelines for their food pantries:
- Incorporating a two-question tool to screen for food insecurity and identify households to refer to local programs like pantries, food banks and federal nutrition assistance programs: and
- Adding tobacco and e-cigarette screening processes that are used to match residents with services to help them quit smoking
Danielle Johnson, resident services manager for APAH, shares how the GWR teamed up with APAH to provide its community with self-measured blood pressure tools, healthy eating resources and support for those wanting to quit smoking. Read her guest post on the GWR blog.
Changing the future of health for Black communities: public health and media symposium
The Association hosted hundreds of virtual attendees for an online conversation on changing the future of health for Black communities, featuring the Heart Association’s President Dr. Keith Churchwell. The panel of health and media leaders explored solutions to overcome health inequities faced by Black Americans.
This year, 35 health centers were recognized for commitment to evidence-based patient care
Local health centers received Gold or Gold Plus status for their commitment to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through the Target: BP™, Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ and Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ outpatient programs. These programs help ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. Learn more.