White Plains Hospital Partners With American Heart Association

We measure blood pressure with just two simple numbers, but what these numbers reveal is incredibly complex. Blood pressure is a critical marker of a patient’s risk for life-threatening conditions like heart disease and stroke. Today, one in three American adults — about 80 million people — have high blood pressure, and that number is steadily climbing, according to the American Heart Association.

To help the community and its employees reduce hypertension incidence, White Plains Hospital (WPH) is teaming up with the American Heart Association to launch a 4-month hypertension management program—Check, Change, Control—kicking off on February 1st, on “Go Red Day,”which marks the official start of American Heart Month.

“‘Check, Change, Control’ is a perfect complement to our Healthy Communities initiative which underscores our commitment to advancing health outside the Hospital’s four walls,” says Dawn French, Senior Vice President for Marketing and Community Relations at White Plains Hospital. “Through online tools and in-person education, we are giving people the information they need to take control, with the support of their healthcare provider, to reduce hypertension risk.”

Community participants and White Plains Hospital employees will be given access to the American Heart Association’s online tracker along with a campaign code to track blood pressure readings at home. Community members should use the code WPHbp when accessing the online tracker. The Hospital will also conduct screenings and offer educational tools on how to keep blood pressure under control through diet and exercise.

As part of its community outreach, WPH is partnering with Calvary Baptist Church in White Plains to host on-site monthly events. Clinicians will be on hand to take free blood pressure screenings and educational events will be held. Local community members and Westchester-based businesses are also invited and encouraged to participate.

Educational components during the four-month program will feature the following themes: February: General Blood Pressure Education, March: Nutrition & Sodium Reduction, April: Medication Adherence, and May: Physical Activity.

A healthy blood pressure, according to the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association, is now a reading of less than 120/80. Stage 1 hypertension begins when the top number in the reading is greater than 129, or when the bottom number is greater than 79. Patients who don’t fall into high-risk categories can often lower their blood pressure naturally, through diet and exercise. “Consistently self-monitoring, speaking with your doctor about your blood pressure, and making positive lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact on health,” notes French. “Our goal is to help people stay healthy to keep them out of the Hospital!”