Million Hearts Collaboration – April 2015 Messaging Campaign
Theme: Minority Health Month – Achieving Health Equity through Heart Healthy Living!
April is National Minority Health Month. The purpose of this month, according to its founder the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, is to raise awareness about the
health disparities that affect racial and ethnic minorities. Everyone, no matter their race/ethnicity,
should have an opportunity to live a healthy life no matter where they live, work or play. Cardiovascular
disease continues to be the first and fourth (heart disease and stroke, respectively) leading causes of
death in the U.S., with lifestyle behaviors and access to services major contributors to better health
outcomes.
*If you have any activities that promote improving health equity through heart disease and stroke
prevention and control activities, please let us know.
This document is intended to ensure consistent messaging among partners and it includes:
I.
Alignment with Priorities of the Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke:
Ten-Year Update ..........................................................................................................................1
II.
Key Points....................................................................................................................................2
III.
Email Newsletter Article...............................................................................................................2
IV.
Additional Resources for Patients, Providers, and Health Professionals ........................................3
V.
Social Media Resources ................................................................................................................4
I.
Alignment with Priorities of the Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke:
Ten-Year Update

Effective Communication
Focus – Prevention and public health
Communicate to legislators, policymakers, and the public at large the nation’s vital stake in
sustaining and building upon the prevention and public health the Affordable Care Act, e.g. the
National Prevention Council, Prevention and Public Health Fund, and others.

Strategic Leadership, Partnership & Organization
Focus – Public health – Healthcare collaboration and integration
Integrate public health and health care into a public health system effective in supporting
community-level prevention policies and programs, e.g. the Million Hearts Initiative.

Taking Action
Focus – Cardiovascular health and health equity
Develop, advocate, and implement policies, programs, and practices aimed to improve the nation’s
cardiovascular health in terms of the Healthy People 2020 objectives and AHA metrics – addressing
tobacco use, overweight/obesity, physical activity, healthy diet (including reduction in sodium and
artificial trans-fat intake), blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose); and ensure that
all such actions reach everyone, especially those most vulnerable due to unfavorable social and
environmental conditions.
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II.
Key Points

Race and ethnicity is associated with a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke.
o African Americans are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease than other races/ethnicities,
with 2 out of 5 African Americans at risk for heart disease compared to 1 in 4 among the
general public.
o The rates of premature death (death before age 75 years) from stroke and coronary heart
disease were higher among non-Hispanic blacks than among whites.
o Women, minority racial/ethnic groups (except Asian/ Pacific Islanders), the less educated,
those who spoke a language besides English at home, and those with a disability were more
likely to report fair or poor self-rated health, more physically unhealthy days, and more
mentally unhealthy days than others.

Race and ethnicity is associated with a person’s risk for factors that impact heart disease and
stroke.
o Diabetes prevalence was highest among males, persons aged ≥ 65 years, non-Hispanic
blacks and those of mixed race, Hispanics, persons with less than high school education,
those who were poor, and those with a disability.
o Rates of blood pressure control among adults with hypertension were lowest among
Mexican Americans, persons without health insurance, those who were never married, and
those born outside the United States.
o Persons living in rural census tracts, or living in areas with a higher percentage of senior
citizens, or with a higher percentage of non-Hispanic whites, more often lacked at least one
healthier food retailer nearby (within ½-mile of the tract boundary) compared with persons
living in other census tracts.

The Guide to Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends system interventions to
improve CVD risk factors, including clinical decision support systems, reducing out-of-pocket
costs for CVD preventive services for patients with hypertension and high cholesterol, and
team-based care to improve blood pressure control.
Data derived from the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2013, Section
on Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths: Report
III.
Email Newsletter Article
This month’s message focus is on minority health. Why? April is National Minority Health Month. The
purpose of this month, according to its founder the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Minority Health (OMH), is to raise awareness about the health disparities that affect racial and
ethnic minorities. This is extremely important, as minorities are, often at times, more susceptible to the
risks for heart disease and stroke and to cardiovascular disease.
For example, OMH has looked at the disparities in heart disease and stroke, the first and fourth leading
causes of deaths in the US, and found that:
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In 2010, African Americans were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to
non-Hispanic Whites.
Although African American adults are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, they are
half as likely than their non-Hispanic White counterparts to have their blood pressure under control.
In general, Hispanic American adults are less likely to have coronary heart disease than non-Hispanic
White adults. They are also less likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic White adults. But,
they are less likely to have their high blood pressure under control than non-Hispanic whites, a risk
factor for diabetes.
Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes, a major
risk factor for heart disease, by a physician.
American Indians/Alaska Natives, on average, are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease
than their white counterparts. In addition, American Indians/Alaska Native adults are more likely to
be obese than white adults, more likely to have high blood pressure, and they are more likely to be
current cigarette smokers than white adults - all risk factors for heart disease.
The OMH Website has resources, including social media messages, sample event calendars, and graphic
materials, for download. Site visitors can also download the National Partnership for Action to End
Health Disparities Toolkit for Community Action, which helps groups interested in raising awareness
about and/or implementing systems to address health disparities and engage others in conversations
about the problems and solutions, and take action for change.
Other organizations can provide tools to tackle health disparities too. The Community Guide to
Preventive Services has recommendations to Promote Health Equity, which include interventions for
education programs and policies, culturally competent healthcare, and housing program and policies.
Additionally, the American Heart Association hosts EmPOWERED to Serve™, a megacommunity made up
of a group of individuals from various organizations, businesses and government that come together to
focus on improving health in multicultural communities. This group shares best practices, develops
strategies and, ultimately, helps to drive a "sustainable culture of health" within the nation.
There are a lot of ways you can help reduce health disparities in your community. You can make a
difference and increase healthy living options for all!
IV.
Additional Resources for Patients, Providers, and Health Professionals
Million Hearts® Collaboration Partners Featured Resources
American Heart Association – The AHA website maintains a wealth of resources to inform on and assist
in monitoring, heart disease and stroke conditions, risk factors and healthy behaviors. My Life Check Life's Simple 7 offers interactive tools, such as My Heart Score (English) and Mi puntuaciÓn corazÓn
(Spanish), on the seven simple steps to Manage Blood Pressure, Control Cholesterol, Reduce Blood
Sugar, Get Active, Eat Better, Lose Weight and Stop Smoking. Go Red por tu corazon provides
information in Spanish.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC’s Office of Minority Health & Health Equity (OMHHE)
invites you to celebrate Minority Health Month! This year's theme is Advance Health Equity Now:
Uniting our Communities to Bring Health Care Coverage to All! CDC and HHS are focused on highlighting
strategies and actions leading to Health Equity. Go to CDC Activities for Minority Health Month for more
information.
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Recognizing the substantial value CHWs bring to heart disease and stroke prevention, CDC has compiled
evidence-based research that supports the effectiveness of CHWs in our Community Health Worker
Toolkit. The toolkit includes information state health departments can use to train and further build
capacity for CHWs in their communities, as well as helpful resources that CHWs can use within their
communities. Available resources include:
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Online training materials such as Fotonovelas, a CHW sourcebook, and e-learning course
Technical assistance and policy materials such as policy evidence assessment reports, a
summary of CHW-related laws, and updated policy brief
Million Hearts® – The 2014 Hypertension Control Champions include private and tribal clinical practices
and health services, ranging from solo practitioners to large systems and representing both urban and
rural areas. Together they care for more than 3.5 million adult patients in 19 different states. Each
Champion was able to achieve hypertension control rates of 70 percent or more. 2014 Hypertension
Control Champions
Message to Millions: Message Maps
Messages to Millions is designed to provide consistent, science-based Million Hearts® messages to
disseminate to partners and supporters on a quarterly basis. Message maps provide key and supporting
messages that stress the steps that can be taken by consumers, health care providers, and other
audiences to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The messages can be adapted for other audiences.
Message to Millions: Hypertension Control Message Map [PDF-302K]
Message to Millions: Tobacco Cessation Message Map [PDF-262K]
Message to Millions: Sodium Message Map [PDF-270K]
Million Hearts® Partners Featured Resources
V.
Social Media Resources
Pages and Handles
 AHA Twitter
 AHA Facebook
 CDC Twitter
 CDC Facebook
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Million Hearts Twitter
Million Hearts Facebook
National Forum Twitter
National Forum Facebook
Twitter Posts
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.@CDCgov has compiled evidence-based research that supports effectiveness of CHWs in
Community Health Worker Toolkit http://1.usa.gov/1EfYE8K
Looking for information to train and build capacity for CHWs in your community? Checkout
NEW @CDCgov toolkit http://1.usa.gov/1EfYE8K

Checkout NEW @CDCgov Community Health Worker Toolkit for helpful resources CHWs can use
in their communities http://1.usa.gov/1EfYE8K

DYK: African Americans were 30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic
Whites #minorityhealthmonth
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.@MillionHearts is celebrating #minorityhealthmonth. Are you? Retweet if you are too. [include
picture or company graphic]

.@CDCgov has activities planned throughout minority health month. Visit to learn what you can
do this month: http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/observances/MH.html.

The #CDC Office of Minority Health and Health Equity is 25 years old this year. Retweet to
celebrate them and #minorityhealthmonth!

Find out what you can do to end health disparities in the U.S.:
http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/files/Plans/Toolkit/NPA_Toolkit.pdf
Facebook Posts
Minorities are, often at times, more susceptible to the risks for heart disease and stroke and to
cardiovascular disease. Find out what you can do to address health disparities in your neighborhood:
http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/files/Plans/Toolkit/NPA_Toolkit.pdf.
African American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure than their non-Hispanic
White counterparts. Find out what organizations are doing about it:
http://empoweredtoserve.heart.org/about.
Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes, which is a
major risk factor for heart disease. Share Go Red por tu corazon with Spanish-speaking families and
friends who want to learn more about heart disease and stroke prevention and treatment.
Million Hearts is celebrating National Minority Health Month. Are you? Share if you are. [Include
picture and/or company graphic]
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