Spread The Word on Heart Health
Local Health Departments: Be a Part of the Million Hearts™ Initiative
Heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States. Heart disease is responsible for 1 of every 3 deaths in the country. Million Hearts™ is a national initiative that has set an ambitious goal to prevention 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. The impact will be even greater over time.
Million Hearts™ aims to prevent heart disease and stroke by:
- Improving access to effective care.
- Improving the quality of care for the ABCS.
- Focusing clinical attention on the prevention of heart attack and stroke.
- Activating the public to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle.
- Improving the prescription and adherence to appropriate medications for the ABCS.
For more information about the initiative, please click here
Preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 will require the work and commitment to change from local health departments, primary health care providers and the business community.
Local health departments can benefit from their support by:
- PROMOTE smoke-free air policies, effective tobacco package labeling, restricted tobacco advertising, and higher tobacco prices to help smokers quit and keep nonsmokers tobacco-free.
- SUPPORT education programs, tobacco prevention incentives, wellness programs, and recognition programs, and efforts to reduce sodium and eliminate trans fats in the food supply.
- INCREASE awareness of heart disease and stroke and their risk factors to empower your citizens to take control of their heart health.
- ALIGN health insurance initiatives and programs with Million Hearts™ goals.
- IMPLEMENT incentive programs for members to reduce their heart disease risk through lower premiums, less cost sharing, and incentives for behavior change and self-management.
- BUILD local collaboration and help convene area partners to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of efforts to prevent heart attack and stroke
TAKE THE PLEDGE HERE TO PREVENT 1 Million Heart Attacks
Be one in a Million Hearts™ and see how your work in heart disease and stroke, tobacco, nutrition and wellness programs can make a positive difference. To pledge your support, please sign up here.
Million Hearts Releases New Spanish-Language Resources on Heart Health
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Million Hearts™ initiative released several educational resources to help Spanish speakers take control of their heart health. The new products include "How to Control Your Hypertension/Learning to Control Your Sodium Intake," an illustrated fotonovela that offers multigenerational advice on getting high blood pressure under control by reducing sodium.
NHLBI Heart Health Webinars Now Available
View and share webinars designed just for CHWs, promotores, health educators, and community program planners. Find information on adult learning principles to motivate behavior change and enhance heart health, data collection to track the progress of your heart health community program, and how to implement NHLBI's heart health programs to help your community members stay healthy, enjoy their lives, and raise their families.
The three webinars are:
Approaches to Enhance Learning: Using Adult Learning and Popular Education with the NHLBI Heart Health Curricula
Be the Master of Your Own Data! Collecting and Analyzing Your Heart Health Program Data
Improving Heart Health With Community Health Workers, Promotores, and Community Educators