Background
In
September of 2000 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
awarded the Cardiovascular Disease Infrastructure Grant to the Maine
Department of Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (formerly the Maine Bureau of Health). This grant
created the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program (MCVHP), a State of
Maine program
dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of Maine
people. Visit their
web
site for useful information on cardiovascular disease as well as
fact sheets.
Strategic
Plan
A
Strategic Plan for Cardiovascular Health in Maine 2002-2010 was
developed by the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program in collaboration
with the Maine Cardiovascular Health Council. This strategic
plan was developed to be a tool to inform state and local partners
about cardiovascular disease, about what can be done to achieve the
vision of "Heart Healthy and Stroke-Free in Maine," and to
recruit more partners to join the effort to promote healthy
lifestyles. In 2006, the strategic plan was updated and is
available for download at
http://www.healthymainepartnerships.org/mcvhp/documents/CVD_Plan_final.pdf.
Cardiovascular
disease is the leading cause of death and disability for people living
in Maine. We hope this plan will motivate you to think about and
implement strategies that promote programs, policies, and environments
that help Maine children and adults lead healthier lifestyles.
The continued collaboration of many partners throughout the state
will be necessary to achieve 2010 goals and move us forward in
becoming a heart healthy and stroke-free Maine.
Program Updates
Supporting
Cardiovascular Health in Maine's Worksites
Contact: Any Spaulding, Worksite Health Manager --
aspaulding@mcd.org
A Worksite Pilot Project
was conducted in 2001-2003 to facilitate the development of policy
and environmental strategies used by employers to support employee
cardiovascular health, with particular emphasis on physical
activity, nutrition, and tobacco free lifestyles.
Interventions were developed from information gathered on
organizational support for primary and secondary prevention, as well
as employee interests, awareness, and self-reported health
behaviors. The report has three components: 1) Findings
from the Maine Heart Check Assessment, 2) Findings from the Employee
Health Assessment, and 3) Key Informant Interviews. These
sections describe organizational level changes to create a healthier
workplace as well as changes in employee self-reported health
behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of their employer. In
addition, key informant interviews describe critical success factors
from the perspective of wellness coordinators. The lessons
learned from this pilot were used to create the Good Work resource
kit, which offers a collection of information and strategies for
supporting employee health. This kit can be accessed at:
www.healthymainepartnerships.org/MCVHP/resource_good_work_manual.aspx.
The full evaluation
report can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.healthymainepartnerships.org/downloads/PilotEvalDocument5020.doc.
Improving Care for
Patients with Hypertension and High Cholesterol in the Primary Care
Setting
Contact: Elizabeth Foley , CVH Specialist --
efoley@mcd.org
This report describes the
change process and implementation activities of four primary care
practices participating in the grant "Improving Care for Patients
with Hypertension and High Cholesterol in the Primary Care Setting."
The report also documents the results of a survey of the patients
who participated in the grant activities within each practice in
order to gauge patients' experiences and perceptions of the change
process. The report can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.healthymainepartnerships.org/downloads/Prover%20Patient%20Eval%20Report%20-.pdf.
Through this project,
MCVHP awarded funds and provided technical assistance to qualified
primary care practice sites to promote system change and assure
quality of care and treatment of patients with cardiovascular
disease and risk factors. The primary goal was improved
management and control of patients with hypertension and high blood
cholesterol through patient and provider adherence to recognized
cardiovascular disease primary and secondary prevention guidelines.
The project also tested innovative strategies for assisting
providers to work as partners with their patients in a collaborative
care process; this included addressing components of the Care Model
such as patient self-management through community supports and
resources.
Initiatives to
Improve Awareness of Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack and Stroke
-- Healthy Maine Partnerships Mini-Grants -- Implemented January
through December 2005
Contact: Danielle Louder, CVH Specialist --
dlouder@mcd.org
This report includes
information regarding each of the five grantee projects, as well as
aggregate project findings, and can be downloaded from the MCVHP
website at the following link:
http://www.healthymainepartnerships.org/downloads/ExecutiveSummary-SignsandSymptoms.pdf
The focus of the project
was to increase community awareness of the risk factors and warning
signs associated with heart attack and stroke, as well as the
importance of accessing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by calling
911 immediately should symptoms be witnessed. The summary
report looks at the types of interventions implemented, including
how and where, provides a summary of the findings based on pre and
post-education assessments of knowledge, and highlights the
experiences and feedback from grantees.
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