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State Program: Georgia
Basic Implementation
The Georgia Division of Public Health (DPH), Department of Human Resources
(DHR) began receiving funds from CDC in 1998 to support a state heart
disease and stroke prevention program. The program received increased
funding for basic implementation beginning in 2002.
Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke
- Heart disease is the leading cause of
death in Georgia, accounting for 17,529 deaths or approximately 27% of
the state's deaths in 2002. (National Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)).
- Stroke is the third leading cause of
death, accounting for 4,261 deaths or approximately 7% of the state's
deaths in 2002.
(National Vital Statistics Report 2004;53(5)).
- According to Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results, adults in Georgia
reported the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:
In 2005,
- 26.5% had high blood pressure
- 32.3% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
In 2006,
- 9.1% had diabetes
- 19.9% were current smokers
- 61.7% were overweight or obese (Body
Mass Index greater than or equal to 25.0)
- 24.7% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate collaboration among public and private sector
partners, such as managed care organizations, health
insurers, federally funded health centers, businesses,
priority population organizations, and emergency response
agencies.
- Define the burden of heart disease and stroke and assess
existing population-based strategies for primary and
secondary prevention of heart disease and stroke within the
state.
- Develop and update a comprehensive state plan for heart
disease and stroke prevention with emphasis on heart-healthy
policies development, physical and social environments
change, and disparities elimination (e.g., based on
geography, gender, race or ethnicity, or socioeconomic
status).
- Identify culturally appropriate approaches to promote
heart disease and stroke prevention among racial, ethnic,
and other priority populations.
- Use population-based public health strategies to
increase public awareness of the heart disease and stroke
urgency, the signs and symptoms of heart disease and stroke,
and the need to call 9–1–1.
- Support health care organizations system changes to
assure quality of care and implementation of primary and
secondary prevention for heart disease and stroke.
- Monitor, implement, and evaluate prevention strategies
and programs in health care sites, work sites, and
communities.
- Provide training and technical assistance to public
health, health care professionals, and partners to support
primary and secondary prevention of heart disease and
stroke.
- Monitor quality of care for primary and secondary
prevention.
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State Highlights
- Georgia is part of the Tri-State Stroke Network funded by CDC. The
Network is led by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human
Services/Division of Public Health and also includes South
Carolina.
- The Stroke Heart Attack Prevention Program (SHAPP), which serves
over 17,000 high-risk individuals with diagnosed hypertension,
represents the program’s major healthcare domain initiative focused on
blood pressure control. The Georgia state office supports the program
through provision of nurse protocols that are based on Joint National
Commission 7 (JNC7) guidelines for hypertension management and
treatment. These protocols ensure that public health nursing
evidence-based approaches in SHAPP include diagnosis, management and
treatment. The most recent protocol, approved in 2007, includes a
smoking assessment and brief cessation counseling and referral to the
Georgia Tobacco Quitline as indicated. The newest protocol also includes
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) in the case management
plan. Updated protocols are distributed annually for use in all county
public health clinics and other providers.
- The LaGrange District Worksite Project was established along with
health district staff and a local self-insured worksite to institute
incentive-based health benefit policy changes that reward healthy
lifestyles as evidenced by controlled blood pressure, healthy weight
management, normal cholesterol levels, and being tobacco-free. The
worksite demonstrated a 20% reduction in absenteeism and a savings of
$750,000 in healthcare costs over a 12-month period as a result of these
changes.
- The Macon-Bibb Health District Faith Based Project was developed
with the Hancock County Health Education Task Force and is a
multi-faceted faith-based approach designed to increase the proportion
of congregational members who engage in regular physical activity,
reducing deaths and disabilities associated with cardiovascular disease
and promoting healthy lifestyle changes. The initiative includes four
local African American churches. Activities of the task force include
technical assistance to local churches and the training of lay health
educators. The coordinators assist with the development of faith based
health ministries and the educators using the American Hospital
Association's (AHA) “Search Your Heart” program. Participating churches
have agreed to adopt a healthy living policy that includes not smoking
on church property, offering a healthy menu at church events, and
encouraging physical activity. The Hancock County Health Education Task
Force also developed a community-based wellness facility that provides a
safe, structured environment for risk reduction in the county.
- The Georgia Cardiovascular Health Initiative (GACVHI) contracted with
Health Navigators to conduct workshops on worksite wellness and risk
reduction to educate employers on the importance of employee health and
the need to implement worksite wellness programs. Based on the
evaluation of this approach, the program decided that a much more
targeted approach was required. The initiative was re-focused on
targeted businesses chosen from 2002 worksite survey strata (number of
employers and geographic location) to be pilot sites. Six identified
worksites agreed to participate in a risk reduction program pilot
intervention.
- The pilot worksites conducted health risk assessments using the
Georgia Worksite Assessment Tool (GWAT), developed by GACVHI, to assess
current worksite policies and practices related to employee wellness.
After completing the GWAT, employers were provided a report summarizing
their responses and given recommendations for interventions that could
be implemented in worksites with limited resources or support. Education
was conducted for the worksites on successful strategies and best
practices related to policy changes, including health benefit plans,
guidelines for screening, and on behavior change programs aimed at
reducing risk factors among high-risk individuals. Linkages of employers
to community, governmental (e.g., county extension service, public
health, parks and recreation), non-profit (e.g., AHA, ASA) and other
wellness/health promotion focused organizations were facilitated as
employee resources.
Using the experience gained from the pilot sites, a model worksite
approach was created that would allow GACVHI to support best practice
activities for the pilots so that they eventually become model
worksites.
For more information on heart disease and
stroke prevention in Georgia, visit
http://www.health.state.ga.us/programs/cvhi/index.asp.*
To view county–level data, visit our
interactive map site at http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/maps/statemaps.htm.
*Links to non–Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last reviewed:
December 5, 2007
Page last modified: December 5, 2007
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke
Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
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