“PEACE of Heart”
Campaign Launches Novel Approach to Fight Heart Disease Epidemic among
Minorities
Coalition of African American Leaders and Physicians, Community
and Preventive Health Organizations, and Laboratory Corporation of
America Join UnitedHealth Group and United Health
Foundation to Help Communities Lead Heart-Healthy Lives
Personalized Follow-Up Will Be Unique Hallmark of Program
Rev. Jesse Jackson Kicks off National Campaign at Health Screening
and Outreach Event in Chicago
CHICAGO (Business Wire EON) July 2, 2008 --
A unique coalition of minority groups, physicians, community health
advocates and companies in the health care sector today launched PEACE
of Heart, a campaign taking a novel approach to help fight the epidemic
of heart-related disease in minority, low-income communities through
education, preventive screening and hands-on support.
The goal is to move beyond mere screening and help those at risk connect
with a physician and other health care professionals to urge preventive
steps that promote heart-healthy lives. Participants will be encouraged
to establish a “medical home”
at a community health center or elsewhere. PEACE of Heart is also unique
because of the personalized follow-up that will happen the week after
the event to share screening results and again after about 90 days to
ensure participants are adhering to any recommended treatment.
The PEACE of Heart campaign begins today with health screenings in
Chicago and will also roll-out to Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington,
D.C., Miami, and New York City. The campaign will also include outreach
to approximately 20,000 physicians in the six screening cities to
encourage the use of clinical evidence in detecting, treating and
preventing heart-related health issues. The acronym PEACE encapsulates
the core elements of the program: Partnership, Evaluation, Action,
Community and Education.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States,
and the highest fatality rates are among African Americans and other
medically underserved communities. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and
high cholesterol – all risk factors for heart
disease and stroke – show no sign of decline.
“For too long, we've read about
statistics. The PEACE of Heart campaign is about action," said Rev.
Jesse Jackson Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "It
is our hope that minorities, especially, will take their health
seriously and take advantage of these health screenings. Early detection
leads to correction.”
The campaign will work to identify people at risk in underserved
communities in six cities through free screenings at community health
centers selected with the help of the National Association of Community
Health Centers (NACHC). LabCorp®, another of
the campaign’s partners, will test cholesterol
and blood glucose at no cost to participants.
The campaign partners are:
“At United Health Foundation, we believe
there is an urgent need to address the prevalence of heart disease in
the African American community,” said Reed V.
Tuckson, M.D., United Health Foundation Board Member and UnitedHealth
Group Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs. “Everyone
– individuals, the private sector,
non-profits, and policy makers – needs to
make strides to help people lead the lives that will prevent heart
disease and to support the delivery of better cardiovascular care.”
As a result of a high prevalence of hypertension, African Americans have
a 1.5 times greater rate of heart disease death and 1.8
times greater rate of fatal stroke than Caucasians,
according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Heart disease, stroke
and all other cardiovascular diseases account for 33 percent of deaths
among African American males and 38 percent of deaths among African
American females, according to recent statistics cited by the AHA.
The risk factors that contribute to heart disease often go undetected in
minority communities and treatment can fall short, because those with
low incomes do not routinely visit a doctor and thus many do not have a “medical
home” which can serve as a source of regular
care. That is why PEACE of Heart will work through community health
centers in the six screening cities on a sustained basis.
The American Heart Association will make its extensive educational and
community-based resources available to the campaign. At the same time,
the National Medical Association and coalition partners from the
Association of Black Cardiologists and the National Minority Quality
Forum will reach out to practicing physicians to highlight the
importance of using evidence-based guidance to deliver more effective
preventive care and treatment among minorities.
In Chicago, PEACE of Heart will host two screening events on Wednesday,
July 2, 2008 at Komed Holman Health Center from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
and at Mile Square Health Center from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Participants will be screened for blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, and
diabetes.
Rev. Jackson and Dr. Tuckson will host a press conference at 2:30 PM at
Mile Square Health Center to discuss the initiative and answer questions
about the campaign’s goals.
MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5723112
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