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Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Partners

Partners enable the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (HDSPP) to accomplish the objectives and strategies described in the state plan. They provide the hands-on experience of heart disease and stroke prevention to residents of Florida in a wide variety of ways. All of these partners are dedicated to improving the health of Florida residents at risk for heart disease and stroke.

The Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion programs include Healthy Communities, Healthy People, HDSPP, Diabetes Prevention and Control, Arthritis Prevention and Education, and Comprehensive Cancer. The programs work closely to address the overlapping risk factors of tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These partnerships are fundamental. The partnerships outside the bureau are vital to expanding our efforts outside the arena of public health.

The American Heart Association (AHA) spearheads the Florida Cardiovascular Health Council and works closely with the HDSPP to implement a Stroke Systems Plan, convening the committees to coordinate the professional education, data collection, stroke center and hospital commitment, emergency response, and other issues important to improving stroke outcomes. The AHA continues to set the standard in quality education courses and materials for both health care providers and the public. This partnership works well and is dedicated to improving the statistics related to heart disease and stroke.

The Florida Association of Community Health Centers, Inc. is improving quality of care in underserved populations by assisting federally funded community health centers to implement systems that improve the treatment and outcomes of heart patients.

The Florida Association of Rural EMS Providers is conducting training for the rural EMS providers who cannot leave their posts to get training in the urban areas where it is more frequently offered.

The Bureau of EMS is improving the statewide data collection and reporting system to determine areas that can be improved and to link with the national database, contributing to a better national perspective of EMS issues and accomplishments.

The Department of Education continues to promote and support a coordinated approach to school health for both students and staff, encouraging adults to model healthy behavior for students. The four schools involved in this project are leading the way for the rest of the school districts in Florida.

The Office of Minority Health addresses the health disparities of minority populations, including disparity in cardiovascular disease.

FMQAI, Inc. is working to enhance the education of pharmacy students to assess consumers' health knowledge and medication therapy compliance. Educating these consumers on the importance of healthy behaviors and following health care providers instructions will help to improve the health of Florida residents at risk for heart disease and stroke.