Hypertension Heroes
We recognize exceptional programs addressing inequities in hypertension control through innovative and collaborative initiatives as Hypertension Heroes.
Meet the 2024 Sal Lucido Hypertension Heroes
The undeniable success of National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention’s Move with the Mayor® (MWTM) initiative, resulting in policy and environmental changes that enable people to prevent and control hypertension in their communities, makes it a clear Hypertension Hero. To date, the user-friendly initiative has involved over 60 mayors across the country, focusing on underrepresented and rural communities with high hypertension rates. By encouraging and supporting mayors to locally implement evidence-based policies, programs, and infrastructure changes that promote physical activity, reduce stress and anxiety, and foster smoke-free living, the initiative enhances the hypertension control efforts of public health agencies, community organizations, and healthcare providers. The initiative has facilitated lower hypertension rates, higher rates of smoke-free living, and greater adherence to the national physical activity guidelines by leveraging mayors as trusted leaders deeply connected to their community’s needs. Through wider partnerships with the African American Mayors Association, Forum for Community Leaders, and US Conference of Mayors, the National Forum actively engages minority and rural populations at disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular disease, ensuring that underserved communities derive the greatest benefit from MWTM. The meaningful collaboration MWTM promotes among local governments, local health departments, faith-based organizations, employers, schools, and providers has successfully sustained local hypertension initiatives over time, across mayoral terms, and through changes in party. With its unwavering commitment to serving local communities, MWTM represents the kind of cross-sector innovation for which NHCR stands.
Find more about the Initiative here | Follow the Forum on Facebook | Follow the Forum on Instagram | Follow the Forum on X
The Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC) stands out as a Hypertension Hero due to its comprehensive, compassionate, and collaborative approach to combating hypertension among uninsured and underserved Rhode Island communities. RIFC provides free and comprehensive care for patients who lack insurance, ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations have access to quality hypertension management interventions. Through a range of on-site specialists, patients receive multidisciplinary and tailored care on a seamless continuum of care; nurse-led follow-up appointments and free laboratory services encourage proactive cardiovascular education, care plan adherence, and patient empowerment. RIFC further ensures optimal patient outcomes through ongoing quality improvement collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Health, where they leverage public health expertise and resources to implement evidence-based interventions. Additional partnerships include the WISEWOMAN Program, emphasizing cardiovascular education and action among underserved women, the Brown University Warren Alpert Medical and Bryant PA Schools, providing hands-on training for future healthcare professionals while increasing Clinic capacity, and Brown Physicians Group and Power BI, supporting data science research on hypertension disparities. RIFC exemplifies NHCR’s mission through its holistic, inclusive, and community-centered approach to healthcare, and engaging in meaningful partnerships aimed at improving both targeted cardiovascular health improvement and broader Rhode Island health improvement.
Find more about the Clinic here | Follow the Clinic on Facebook | Follow the Clinic on Instagram | Follow the Clinic on X
Emory at Grady’s “Enhanced Community Health Worker Support for Women with Hypertensive Disorders in the Fourth Trimester and Beyond” partnership is a model Hypertension Hero: The program, which focuses on postpartum management and navigation support for women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, utilizes a multidisciplinary team-based approach to provide tailored and comprehensive patient-centered care in the fourth trimester. To address overwhelming need at Grady Memorial – which sees a 2-4x higher incidence of HDP diagnosis than the national average – the program leverages collaboration across the Grady Women’s Health Center, Grady Primary Care Center, and Grady Heart and Vascular Center with team members from the Grady Population Health Team, the Mobile Integrated Health Team, Emory Cardiology, Rollins School of Public Health Program Evaluation Team and public health students, medical students, and specialized community health workers (CHW) to address postpartum management and social determinants of health. This joint effort comprises community engagement, social assistance to address barriers to care, CHW navigation support, and, crucially, provides validated self-measured blood pressure devices. Specialized CHWs function within the program as dedicated health coaches to guide participants with culturally-appropriate care protocols on prevention, self-management, and lifestyle intervention. The program’s partnerships with community-based and local groups, professional organizations, and regional and national organizations has likewise contributed to its reach, capacity, and community buy-in. The quantitative and qualitative success of the program in reducing BP and HDP, and improving quality of life for new mothers, is a testimony to the power of its cross-sector approach to treating, educating, and advocating for its community.
Find more about Emory at Grady here | Follow Emory Dept. of Medicine on Instagram | Follow Emory Dept. of Medicine on X
Remembering Sal Lucido
Salvatore “Sal” Lucido was the “godfather” of the Roundtable: While serving as Associate Director for Policy, External Relations, and Communications in CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, he was instrumental in the conception and founding of NHCR.
Sal tirelessly engaged partner hypertension organizations, helped establish NHCR’s governing structure and originating bylaws, and secured critical CDC funding that supports operations to this day. With the original steering committee and Roundtable co-chairs, Dr. Eduardo Sanchez and John Clymer, Sal maintained and grew NHCR during the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sal’s vision was for a vibrant Roundtable effort, where every member is supported and every organization is engaged. To honor his contributions, NHCR calls on its membership to be involved wherever they can: Join a Task Force, attend a Fireside Chat, promote Roundtable hypertension control messaging, and bring others to the Table. Together and with Sal’s lasting optimism, we can all help the Roundtable achieve its vision of hypertension control for all. Sal continues to be truly and deeply missed by his friends within NHCR, CDC, and well beyond. For his contributions to the Roundtable, the annual Hypertension Hero Awards have been re-named in Sal’s honor.