The Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC) will provide free blood pressure checks during the month of February in recognition of American Heart Month.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Americans and research shows that minorities are disproportionately affected by it. High blood pressure is a contributing factor to heart disease and is often called the ‘silent killer,’ so the AMHC is honored to provide the checks for the community as both a prevention and education tool,” said AMHC Director Kenya L. Eddings.

Hospitalized patients receive a large amount of medical information from their healthcare team. Patient understanding of medical care reduces readmission rates and improves patient satisfaction, yet the literature suggests that patients often have poor retention of the large amount of care information they received despite numerous interventions.