Carmelita Spicer, MEd and Project Manager from the Community Health Coalition presented as part of a group the following information on Strategies for Health Marketing & Promotions for Life Preservation/Stroke & Heart Disease Prevention at the Old North State Medical Society’s 124th Annual Meeting & Scientific Assembly on June 16, 2011 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC. The following was presented:
Objectives:
To build awareness
To empower
To change behavior of the patient/client/consumer
Interpretations: Disparities, gaps, emerging issues
Although downward trends in the rates of heart disease exist throughout the community, minority population rates of heart disease trend disproportionately higher than the mean. For most of the leading causes of death the rates are much higher for minorities than for the general population (Statistic, 2010). This is particularly true for minority males.2009 BRFSS data reflects that minorities in the community were more than 3 times more likely to have been told by a health professional that had experienced a stroke (2009 BRFSS, 2010). Consistently over the 2007 and 2009 BFRSS data, minorities were more likely than majority residents to report health professional communication of cardiovascular or stoke episodes. This is evidenced in local, state and national data (Partnership for a Healthy Durham). http://www.healthydurham.org/
Reducing the rates of mortality from both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease will contribute to the physical and economic wellbeing of the community by reducing medical cost, increasing adult employability and productivity, and improving both quality and quantity of life for the county’s residents.
Addressing these diseases requires the community to take into account the fact that obesity, high rates of high blood pressure and cholesterol, smoking, poor diet; physical inactivity and diabetes are all known risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
So, what strategies can we adopt or use to make an impact at the grassroots level, what can we do to bring home to the public that “we” (African Americans) need to take ownership of our health by watching what we eat, not smoking, watching our weight; exercising and controlling our blood pressure and cholesterol. And, knowing our BP numbers? Since my background is over 30 years in marketing, promotions and advertising, I advocate from a position of strength from my background. I advocate that the task force consider a strong advertising/promotion campaign to augment what we are already doing.
What are already doing? Current Initiatives & Activities in the Durham Area:
Check It Change It
The “Check It, Change It” program focuses on patients seen with high blood pressure at several Durham area clinics. It was developed through a collaboration of the American Heart Association and Durham Health Innovations.
After enrollment, participants receive educational information about how to improve their health through interaction with community health coaches and nurse practitioners. “Check It, Change It” participants will also have access to computer-based educational tools and 16 blood pressure monitoring stations/locations in Durham where they (the patients) can track progress through Heart360 (www.heart360.org), the American Heart Association’s free and secure online heart-health wellness center that connects to Microsoft HealthVault.
Website: www.checkitchangeit.org
B-PEP (Blood Pressure Educational Program)
A program sponsored by the Community Health Coalition with the support of the Old North State Medical Society, the Durham City Council and County Commissioners. Designed to teach 12 participants over a 12 week period how to monitor and manage their pressure daily, how to incorporate healthy life changes through exercise, diet and stress management. Provided hand held blood pressure monitors to the participants. Outcome: At the conclusion, we had a reduction of 27% for the systolic and 9% for the diastolic blood pressure readings as an average for the entire group. We had perfect attendance of three of the participants. This could be replicated in the future to reach more individuals that are at risk or suffering from high blood pressure.
Website: www.chealthc.org
Email: healthcoali@aol.com
Phone : 919-470-8680
Partnership for Healthy Durham
The Partnership for a Healthy Durham is a coalition of local organizations and community members, with the goal of collaboratively improving the physical, mental, and social health and well-being of Durham's residents. The Partnership has seven committees that each focus on a Durham County health priority and are led by our Steering committee. There are currently 230 active members in the Partnership. The Partnership is the certified Healthy Carolinians program for Durham County. This effort reflects the work of organizations focused on health disparities, health education, health access, public and private clinical services, research and teaching all focused on the health and wellness of the community.
Website: www.healthydurham.org
Phone: 919-560-7833
Recommended Strategies
NC Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force and Program Consider:
1) Providing evidenced-based clinical, community and individualized strategies for reducing risk and mortality rates of heart disease and stroke. These are described specifically in Healthy People 2020 Interventions and Resources for Heart Disease and Stroke. www.healthpeople.gov/2020
These include the consideration of : aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, behavioral counseling in the primary care to promote a healthy diet, screening for high blood pressure, screening for lipid disorders in adults, behavioral and social approaches to increase physical activity through individually adapted health behaviors, social support interventions in the community, campaigns and informational approaches to increase physical activity community wide, worksite programs for obesity prevention and control, assessment of health risks with feedback to change employee’s health.
2) Taking a campaign like “Check It, Change It” or a campaign like “B-PEP” to the advertising council for support. Collaborating with the Advertising Council, Inc. Located: Washington DC Office; The Advertising Council; 1203 19th Street NW 4th floor; Washington DC, 20036; www.adcouncil.org Phone: (202) 331-9153
Mission Ad Council’s mission is to identify a select number of significant public issues and stimulate action on those issues through communications programs that make a measurable difference in our society.
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to deliver critical messages to the American public. (A leading producer of public service announcements (PSAs). The Ad Council produces, distributes and promotes thousands of public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventative health, education, community well being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
Ad Council icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture -- Smokey Bear's "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," The Crash Test Dummies: "You Could Learn A lot from a Dummy," McGruff the Crime Dog's: "Take A Bite Out of Crime," and of course, "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste," and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" - just to name a few.
3) Asking major manufacturers to provide hand held monitors to local organizations like Community Health Coalition to disseminate to patients/clients after they successfully go through a BP Educational program. Asking manufacturers to reduce cost of hand-held monitors and make them more customer-friendly, and make them so that don’t have to be recalibrated.
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The Triangle East Chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Incorporated, selected Elaine Hart-Brothers, MD as one of their honorees at their annual Scholarship and Awards Gala held at the Sheraton Imperial RTP on Saturday, June 25, 2011. Dr. Hart-Brothers was selected in recognition of her outstanding contributions in the field of Health and Wellness.
In addition to honoring Dr. Hart-Brothers and three other phenomenal individuals, the Gala also awarded scholarships to deserving high school seniors.
Functioning as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the primary
mission of 100 Black Men of America, Incorporated, is to educate and
support programming that advances the positive interests of youth
throughout the United States. Founded in 1963, it is one of America's
oldest community service organizations currently in existence, and is
one of the world's leading organizations for mentoring African
American youth.
The organization’s 103 chapters and over 15,000 members seek to improve the quality of life of thousands of young people through planned initiatives in the areas of mentoring, education, economic development, and health and wellness. |
