Meeting the Community where They Are to Address Hypertension

Continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring is key to chronic hypertension diagnosis and management to reduce cardiovascular risk. In 2019, the American Heart Association (AHA) identified the Hmong and Native American communities in hypertension crisis and placed BP kiosks in those communities for 3 years. Access to measuring BP in a trusted place, potentially from peers, was meeting the community where they are to address hypertension. The AHA expanded this work, creating 15 community BP hubs throughout the Twin Cities - a sustainable alternative to the large kiosks. The AHA, in partnership with the American Medical Association also offers a program for clinics to improve BP control rates through an evidence-based quality improvement and recognition program. The MN AHA team was the first to engage behavioral health centers in the BP control program, an innovative strategy being replicated in other sites.

Presenter: Claire Fleming Sivongsay, MPH, Community Impact Director, Twin Cities American Heart Association.

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MPHA Health Equity Committee meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Currently all meetings are virtual. Meetings are open to MPHA members and non-members who want to learn more and take action on advancing health equity in Minnesota. 

For more information about the Health Equity Committee,  please email healthequity@mpha.net and we will get back to you! The committee is co-chaired by Jaime Martinez, Erica Fishman, and Austin Wu.