Strategic Networking Session
A total of 10 groups represented states with staff from funded and yet to be funded State Health Departments, WISEWOMAN, Coverdell, the Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative, and the American Heart Association. Participants were asked to discuss how their organizations have addressed or plan to address sodium reduction or hypertension control during the 60-minute session. They were asked about current or potential activities, challenges or barriers they face, and current or potential partners.
A total of 10 groups represented states with staff from funded and yet to be funded State Health Departments, WISEWOMAN, Coverdell, the Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative, and the American Heart Association.
Current or Potential Activities in Hypertension Control
Below is a sample of the types of comments made across all groups when asked about examples of how states are addressing or plan to address CDC priority areas in hypertension control.
- Diabetes data sharing agreements
- Patient and community education
- Monthly health plan follow-ups with patients
- Blood pressure curriculum, including training on taking blood pressure for EMS and health providers
- Qualitative research on physician willingness to assess for sleep disorders
- Educator toolkit resources for physicians
- Cooking classes
- Collecting information on environmental supports
- Offering free blood pressure measurements
- Worksite blog on hypertension strategies
- Annual wellness screenings
- Chronic Care Initiative (CCI) grantee day
- GIS map for providers to refer patients
- HTN certification for physicians
- Provide training to dental staff on how to screen for blood pressure
Current or Potential Activities in Sodium Reduction
Below is a sample of the types of comments made across all groups when asked about examples of how states are addressing or plan to address CDC priority areas in sodium reduction.
- CEUs/CMEs for providers who take training on sodium reduction
- Worksite incentives for sodium reduction
- Focus on adult populations
- Focus on children and adults
- Evaluate procurement/vending machine policies
- Highlight lack of healthy meals in schools on local TV programming show
- Develop Know Your Numbers brochure with sodium information
- Provide training on sodium reduction
- Evaluate Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior (KAB) in African American men
- Initiative to provide information at local libraries
- Monthly sodium and cholesterol e-bulletin to health care providers
- Use color coded reminders on e-medical records
- Develop policies for healthy meetings
- Implement procurement policies on food purchases in state and local government
Challenges and Barriers in Hypertension Control
Below is a sample of the types of comments made across all groups when asked what challenges or barriers states face when addressing CDC priority areas in hypertension control.
- Lack of support at the state HD level
- Getting physicians to participate in training
- Problems using EHRs to collect data
- Disconnect between physicians and patients
- Buy-in from Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
- Tough to collect data
- Data does not follow the patient to track progress of HBP/HTN
Challenges and Barriers in Sodium Reduction
Below is a sample of the types of comments made across all groups when asked what challenges or barriers states face when addressing CDC priority areas in sodium reduction.
- Competing priorities (e.g., sugar sweetened beverage tax)
- Other food additives not taken into account
- Equipment in commercial kitchens not able to prepare fresh foods
Current or Potential Partners
States shared who their current and potential partners are when addressing the CDC priority areas in hypertension control or sodium reduction. Types of partners across the groups included:
- Community Health Centers (including Association of Community Health Centers, Bureau of Community Health Prevention)
- Large restaurant chains and restaurant associations
- Local food manufacturers, bread companies, and food processers
- Culinary schools, dentistry schools, and grade schools
- Faith-based organizations
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Office on Aging and senior citizen centers
- State Employee Insurance Board
- Stroke Collaborative among district hospitals that are stroke centers
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Local health departments
- Primary care physicians and health clinic practitioners
Last updated
July 6, 2011
