The American Heart Association is teaming up with Providence Health Plan, the health insurance division of Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services, to broaden cardiovascular care in underserved communities throughout Oregon and Washington.
The Portland Opportunities and Industrialization Center became the first organization to benefit from the partnership by setting up a program to have blood-pressure monitoring kits, with instructions on their use and follow-up steps to take if needed, distributed to targeted communities, according to a Sept. 11 news release from Providence Health Plan.
The program distributes kits in "underserved communities where health disparities are most pronounced," with 20 more programs planned for communities within Oregon and Washington over the next three years, the release said.
"Many people who have high blood pressure are unaware of the condition," the American Heart Association said in a Sept. 12 news release. "The initiative aims to improve access to vital health resources and reduce barriers to care."