Chronic diseases are one of many significant issues within the United States, accounting for the costliest illnesses that affect Americans. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has cited that the number of Americans affected by this issue will increase to about 157 million in 2020.
These diseases include cancer, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease which will be the focus of the Tri-County Health Improvement Special Project (TCHISP). In this grant program, we will be using evidence-based strategies and the CDC heart age calculator to track and monitor long-term outcomes of the participants ages 30-50 over this 3-year program period.
To ensure effective implementation, a collaborative intervention has been undertaken by the Rural Alabama Prevention Center (RAPC), Hill Hospital of Sumter County, Community Health Resource and Education Center (CHEAR), Hale Empowerment Revitalization Organization (HERO), New Generation Community Outreach Center (NGCOC), and the Abundant Life Wellness Center to launch the Tri-County Health Improvement Special Project. Within this project, it will focus on a healthy heart from developing CVD in African Americans who have no history.
The goal of the TCHISP is to integrate trained Community Health Workers that will use scientific evidence-based curriculum to improve heart health knowledge and behaviors of the participants in Greene, Hale, and Sumter Counties over a 3-year period.
