OMH Grantee

University of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Public Health
1665 University Blvd. Room 320
Birmingham , Alabama 35294-0022

The Magic City Stroke Prevention Project (MCSPP) is a community-focused effort to reduce the burden of stroke among African Americans residing in Birmingham and Jefferson counties of Alabama. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Center for Health Promotion is the lead agency for the MCSPP and collaborates with numerous public and private entities. Among the collaborating organizations are: the American Heart/American Stroke Association, Birmingham Health Care, Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System, Congregations for Public Health, Inc., Cooper Green Hospital, Jefferson County Department of Health, and local radio and television stations. The MCSPP consists of four workgroups and each of the collaborative partners serves on at least one workgroup. Workgroup One oversees a mass media campaign designed to raise community awareness about the risk factors of stroke. The media campaign includes radio and television PSAs, special events during National Stroke Awareness Month, and mini-grants to neighborhood associations to host stroke awareness/prevention events. Workgroup Two seeks to enhance early detection of hypertension and stroke through its Stroke Prevention Network. The network consists primarily of Birmingham fire and rescue stations where blood pressure checks and referrals are held. Educational materials and the MCSPP Stroke Prevention Resource Guide are disseminated to community residents. The Congregations for Public Health leads Workgroup Three which identifies and trains community residents to be Community Health Advocates (CHAs) to promote healthier lifestyles and behaviors among church and community members. Workgroup Four implements the MCSPP health provider education program which encourages health care professionals to promote self-management by patients diagnosed with hypertension. This workgroup also ensures that self-management and medication adherence education tools are included in the information disseminated by the CHAs.