Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM Announces $158,160 Grant to Flagstaff Medical Center

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM program today announced a grant of $158,160 to the Flagstaff Medical Center in support of Northern Arizona Diabetes - Heart Connection. This is the second consecutive year in which Flagstaff has received a grant from the Foundation, for a total of $325,560.

“Cardiovascular disease continues to be the nation’s No. 1 killer, which is why we must work to decrease the risks of this devastating disease”

Now in the program’s second year, Northern Arizona Diabetes - Heart Connection works to reduce morbidity/mortality rates and to improve wellness by identifying, screening and educating community members at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The program has been designed to respond to the rising prevalence of diabetes and CVD among low-income residents of Northern Arizona, an area characterized by high numbers of members of the Navajo, Hopi, and Havasupai Tribes.

"Through a generous grant from the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, we are able to offer community based Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes screenings and prevention education to hundreds of northern Arizona residents this year," said Cristine Henry, Population Health Management Director. "In particular, we are excited to collaborate with several neighborhood groups whose residents have found convenient access to screenings and education a challenge in the past. Working with individual and unique rural communities to address their health needs and interest in ways that work best for them is one of the best parts of the Connections for Cardiovascular Health Grant - we have the flexibility to meet our goals in ways that are effective for our diverse population."

Services of the program include identifying persons at risk for pre-diabetes utilizing the American Diabetes Association recommendations, assessing for CV risk via heart health screenings, providing an introductory visit with certified diabetes educator and/or a registered dietician, developing a customized, culturally competent plan best addressing each person's individual needs and linking each person with local and regional health and social resources.

“Cardiovascular disease continues to be the nation’s No. 1 killer, which is why we must work to decrease the risks of this devastating disease," said James W. Blasetto, M.D., MPH, FACC chairman of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. "The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is proud to provide funding to innovative, grassroots programs like Flagstaff Medical Center’s Heart Connection, which work to help prevent and control the effects of cardiovascular disease in their community."

The Connections for Cardiovascular Health program awards grants of $150,000 and up to US-based non-profit organizations that are doing innovative work in the field of cardiovascular health. This year, the Foundation has awarded more than $4.4 million in grants to 22 organizations. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded nearly $11 million across the United States to help improve cardiovascular health.

Organizations can learn more and apply online for a Foundation grant at www.astrazeneca-us.com/foundation. Applications must be submitted online no later than 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 28, 2013.

About Flagstaff Medical Center

FMC is a non-profit subsidiary of Northern Arizona Healthcare. As Northern Arizona’s only regional referral center, FMC cares for more than 85,000 patients each year. With more than 200 active-staff physicians and approximately 2,000 employees, FMC provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art healthcare from diagnostic outpatient services to open heart surgery. Additionally, FMC is the only Level I Trauma Center and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit north of Phoenix. To learn more about programs and services offered at Flagstaff Medical Center, visit www.FlagstaffMedicalCenter.com.

About the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation

Established in 1993, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is a Delaware not-for-profit corporation and a 501(c)(3) entity organized for charitable purposes including to promote public awareness of healthcare issues, to promote public education of medical knowledge and to support or contribute to charitable and qualified exempt organizations consistent with its charitable purpose. Connections for Cardiovascular Health was launched in 2010 through a charitable contribution of $25 million from AstraZeneca.