(Washington, D.C.)- The Greater Washington Region American Heart Association and Unity Health Care hosted a ribbon cutting event and opening of a blood pressure kiosk on October 28, 2019. The new blood pressure kiosk is located at Unity Health Care-Brentwood Health Center in Washington, D.C. Over half a million patients are seen through the Unity Health System which has centers throughout D.C. This new kiosk’s location will help thousands of community members know their numbers.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke and can be linked to more than 400,000 U.S. deaths each year. In the D.C. zip code where the kiosk has been placed, 40% of people have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. This new blood pressure kiosk allows community members to check their blood pressure regularly, to know their numbers, keep them top of mind and receive health information to live their healthiest lives. The kiosk includes educational materials as well as access to a tracker to record an individual’s numbers and assess their risk. Through Unity Health Care, community members have full service medical care available to them to help bring their blood pressure under control. A heartfelt thank you to the anonymous donor for dedicating the funding to allow this to be placed in an area in need of additional resources!
The American Heart Association, Unity Health Care and Greater Washington Region community members, executives and physicians all attended the ribbon cutting event. Speakers at the event talked about the importance of blood pressure control and the new kiosk’s strategic location. They included:
- Soula Antoniou, Executive Director, Greater Washington Region American Heart Association
- Richard Benson, MD, Director, Office of Global Health and Health Disparities, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH; Greater Washington Region American Heart Association Board Member
- Reggie Elliott, MD, Medical Director, Unity Health Care- Brentwood Health Center
- Barbara Humpton, CEO Siemens USA; Greater Washington Region American Heart Association Board Chair
- Vincent Keane, President/CEO of Unity Health Care, Inc.
The blood pressure kiosk is open to the public and free for all to use! It is located here:
Unity Health Care- Brentwood Health Center
1251-B Saratoga Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20018
For more information about blood pressure kiosks and other community resources, please contact [email protected].