Cardiovascular Health
NACCHO helps local health departments identify local-level prevention strategies, information and resources to advance local practice and to educate the public on the importance of preventing heart attack and stroke in the United States. NACCHO is a member of the national Million Hearts® Collaborative, a group with a goal to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2022.
Join the Million Hearts in Municipalities® Learning Collaborative!
Municipalities (county and city-level public health agencies) will engage in a peer-to-peer forum to share and learn about effective best-practices in cardiovascular disease prevention, primary care integration, stakeholder engagement, and community awareness.
To join the Million Hearts in Municipalities® Learning Collaborative Forum, email chronicdisease@naccho.org.
Award Recipients Announced for 2019 Million Hearts® in Municipalities Project
In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) offered a new funding opportunity in January 2019 for local health departments and community-based organizations to enhance efforts to prevent cardiovascular disease and implement Million Hearts® 2022 in their municipality.
Five sites were selected for the 2019 Million Hearts® in Municipalities Project.
Million Hearts® 2022 Strategy: Improve hypertension control among Blacks/African Americans through targeted protocols.
Project Plan: Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) will use the Million Hearts® in Municipalities Project funding to implement the Healthy Hearts Barbershop Initiative. This project will leverage and expand work being done by Barbers for Health (BFH), an initiative established in January 2015. BFH will build on its partnership with two community barbershops and a community health center to provide access to blood pressure monitoring and serve as a referral point for the barbershop patrons to receive follow-up care from a healthcare provider.
Million Hearts® 2022 Strategy: Enhance access for physical activity and design communities that support physical activity.
Project Plan: With cardiovascular disease leading the cause of death among Dorchester residents, and over one-third of adults being physically inactive and obese, the Dorchester County Health Department (DCHD) identified the need for connecting residents to physical activity opportunities. DCHD plans to use the mini-grant to enhance access and design communities that support physical activity by developing a portable StoryWalk® to be utilized by multiple community partners and conduct StoryWalk® events throughout the county. The StoryWalk® initiative will introduce residents to manageable exercises; and through cross-sectoral partnerships, will increase access to physical activity opportunities for residents despite geographic barriers.
Million Hearts® 2022 Strategy: Integrate tobacco cessation into behavioral health treatment.
Project Plan: High blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke account for a quarter of deaths in Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale (GNR) County health district. One third of cardiovascular related deaths are attributed to smoking and tobacco usage. In GNR County, nearly 20% of adults smoke. The GNR Health Department plans to leverage existing partnerships with local mental health agencies by integrating tobacco cessation into their behavioral health treatment plans. Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists will lead two monthly group cessation classes, providing support and educational materials for each participant.
Million Hearts® 2022 Strategy: Decrease tobacco use through mass media campaigns.
Project Plan: Needham Public Health Division (NDPH) plans to implement a comprehensive tobacco cessation mass media campaign that targets priority populations through various communication channels such as local newspapers, cable news, and social media. Further, NDPH will partner with a local hospital to provide an evidence-based tobacco cessation program and connect participants to relevant resources.
Million Hearts® 2022 Strategy: Improve hypertension control among Blacks/African Americans through targeted protocols.
Project Plan: Marion County Public Health Department designated the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis as a partner to expand its evidence-based Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program (BPSM). Personalized support will help adults develop the habit of self-monitoring their blood pressure and enhance knowledge to develop healthier lifestyle habits. The YMCA plans to expand their program by partnering with faith-based organizations and community-known locations in low-income neighborhoods with a large percentage of Black/African American residents.
NEW Resource. The Assessment to Action: A Sodium Reduction Tool is now Live! This is a free web-based assessment and action planning tool that food service programs can use to assess their current sodium policy and practices and develop site-specific sodium reduction action plans. The digital tool was developed by Health Resources in Action and the National Network of Public Health Institutes with support from DHDSP’s Sodium Reduction in Communities team.
Our Million Hearts in Municipalities grantees share their work during the 2018 project year.
The following NACCHO-hosted resources are available for free to help prevent cardiovascular disease in your community.
The following organizations have collaborated with NACCHO to prevent cardiovascular disease in communities throughout the United States.
NACCHO has produced a webinar series that helps local health departments improve their awareness and understanding of practice-based local health department programs that address cardiovascular health and local efforts to implement the Million Hearts®initiative in cardiovascular disease prevention. Webinar topics have included the ABCs, local strategies for improved blood pressure control, and chronic disease self-management programs
The following policy statements show NACCHO's continual support for cardiovascular health in the United States.