(L to R) Nicole Morris, Kent County Health Department; Michelle Boulden Hammond, ChesMRC Health Outreach Coordinator; and Julie Donaldson, ChesMRC Community Health Worker at the Maryland Million Hearts Symposium.

ChesMRC’s Michelle Boulden Hammond and Julie Donaldson attended the 2015 Maryland Million Hearts Symposium held at Martin’s West on February 10. This day-long event is part of a statewide effort to prevent and control cardiovascular disease with a focus on integrating public health and clinical delivery to improve population outcomes. Attending this summit was part of the ChesMRC’s planned activities in support of American Heart Month.

Uncontrolled blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, and about 70 million Americans have high blood pressure. Million Hearts® is a national initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. The Maryland’s Million Heart Symposium brought together over 300 public and private partners at Martin’s West to advance this goal.

Maryland’s commitment to the Million Hearts Initiative has 5 core components: improving clinical care, strengthening tobacco control, promoting a healthy diet, encouraging workplace wellness, and incentivizing local public health action. Maryland’s Million Hearts activities are a central component of an overall health reform strategy that aims to expand access to high-quality healthcare for all Marylanders and to maximize wellness and prevention to optimize the value of the State’s investment in health.

To learn more about The Maryland Million Hearts Initiative™, please visit their website. More information about the national initiative can be found at Million Hearts.