HJAR May/Jun 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2021 49 LaShannon Spencer Chief Executive Officer Community Health Centers of Arkansas outcomes. Eighty percent of cardiac events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes such as moving more, eat- ing smart and managing blood pressure. As a Board Member for theAmerican Heart Association and a Southwest Region Board Member, I have witnessed the impact the association is making throughout com- munities across the United States, includ- ing Arkansas. Just to name a few things we are doing: • Working with healthcare providers to implement self-measured blood pres- sure monitoring (SMBP), a proven ap- proach for out-of-office blood pressure measurement. • Providing access to clean water by the installation of water-filling stations in school districts across Arkansas. • Advocating for the minimum age of to- bacco consumption to be 21 years old and focusing our efforts to encourage school districts to change punitive in- tervention to cessation counseling or supportive strategies. and Prevention, having high blood pressure may increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. But so much more can be done. As we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day, please make sure your loved ones have taken the adequate amount of time to incorporate heart healthy activities into their daily rou- tine. You can encourage your loved ones to gain more movement by: • Planting a vegetable garden in which they will be able to eat more fruits and vegetables. Planting requires body movement. • Selecting a song that brings joy and dance to it. Dancing often can help bring joy and happiness. • Scheduling self-care activities, taking time to reflect on what feeds the soul and incorporate those practices into their daily or weekly routine. Together, we can work to prevent heart disease and stroke. n According to Centers for Disease Con- trol, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. This disease is such a large burden on the coun- try’s healthcare system, we need to ensure that all healthcare professionals are work- ing together to provide care and prevention strategies. That’s why Community Health Centers of Arkansas and health centers across the state have partnered with theAmerican Heart As- sociation to improve chronic disease con- trol across the clinical sites through the en- rollment in Target BP and Type II Diabetes programs. Target BP is a national initiative formed by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association in response to the high prevalence of uncon- trolled blood pressure (BP). Also, this ini- tiative helps healthcare organizations and care teams, at no cost, improve BP control rates through an evidence-based quality im- provement program and recognized organi- zations committed to improving BP control. According to the Centers for Disease Control “You can encourage your loved ones to gain more movement by selecting a song that brings joy and dance to it.”