Meet the Investigators Awardee Target Population Proposed Strategy Anticipated Outcome HSA-Level Statistics Kathryn Plumb, M.Ed., Spokesperson  Video Clip:  [Download the RealOne player] Principal Investigator: Michael A. Moore, M.D. Primary Contact: Terri J. Motley, R.N. Phone: (434) 799-5190, Ext. 143 Fax: (434) 799-5022 E-mail: drchip@vdh.state.va.us

Awardee

Dan River Regional Cardiovascular Health Initiative Program (DRchip)
Commonwealth of Virginia, Pittsylvania/Danville Health District, Danville Health Department
Danville, Virginia

Target Population

The project's target population includes middle school students, patients, health care providers, and the general Dan River community. The Dan River region is endemic for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with extremely high heart disease and stroke mortality and morbidity rates.

Proposed Strategy

This project will use both community- and clinic-based approaches to reduce the incidence of coronary artery and other CVD morbidity and mortality. Activities will include community screening and referral for medical care, community- and school-based education activities, professional education training, and emergency medical care improvement. Specific strategies include:

1. Conducting community screening and referral services, using case managers and community health workers.
2. Conducting training programs for health care professionals, based on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) guidelines for preventing and controlling high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and overweight and obesity.
3. Educating the community and schools, using model education programs such as Heart Smart and Heart at Work, in ways to adopt healthier behaviors (e.g., better nutrition/dietary intake, physical activity, smoking cessation, and cooking and food preparation classes).
4. Implementing systems and infrastructure changes to emergency departments to improve the process of care and application of best practices to improve CVD-related outcomes.

The proposed strategies will focus on all four NHLBI performance goals:

• Prevent development of risk factors.
• Detect and treat risk factors.
• Recognize and treat acute coronary syndromes early.
• Prevent recurrence and complications of CVD.

Anticipated Outcome

This project aims to achieve the following:

Health Care Providers

• Development of a needs assessment instrument for health care professionals.
• Development of standardized continuing medical education program that meets the needs and expectations of clinicians.
• Increased knowledge and skills related to management and control of CVD risk factors.

Cardiovascular Risk Screening and Case Management

• Increased community awareness and knowledge of CVD risk factors, prevention, and control.
• Increased number of people with CVD risk factors who are screened, referred, and treated appropriately.
• Established collaborative relationships with specialty clinics that provide state-of-the-art care to high-risk patients according to NHLBI guidelines.
• Increased partnership among case managers, physicians, and patients.
• Increased dialogue between case managers and primary care physicians.

Community Education

• Increased community awareness and knowledge of CVD risk factors and appropriate cardiovascular lifestyle behavior.
• Increased participation in cardiovascular health activities.

Emergency Medicine

• Reduction in the number of patients presenting to the emergency room or hospital for acute coronary syndromes and/or heart failure.
• Improved system to address rapid implementation of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
• Reduction in death and disability from acute coronary syndromes and/or heart failure.