AstraZeneca grants $2.5 million to 14 U.S.-based organizations to improve cardiovascular health

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation today announced grants totaling more than $2.5 million to 14 U.S.-based nonprofit organizations from Maine to California dedicated to improving cardiovascular health in local communities.

The grants are the first to be awarded under the Foundation's Connections for Cardiovascular Health^SM program, which provides grants of $150,000 and up to U.S.-based, nonprofit organizations that are doing innovative work in the field of cardiovascular health in the United States. The program was established last year through a charitable contribution of $25 million from AstraZeneca.

"Cardiovascular disease is taking a terrible toll on our families, our communities and our country," said James W. Blasetto, M.D., MPH, chairman of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. "These organizations are providing innovative programs to improve cardiovascular health in communities in every corner of our nation."

The first Connections for Cardiovascular Health grant recipients are:

American Heart Association in Chicago: The "My Life Check Health Coaching Project" is aimed at underserved African-Americans and is designed to raise awareness of risk factors for heart disease through screenings and intervention strategies to improve nutrition and increase physical activity.

Boston Medical Center: "Exercise and Nutrition to Decrease Diabetes" is aimed at low-income ethnic minorities. It is a community program intended to improve cardiovascular health by reducing the risks of diabetes and obesity in people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and to prevent diabetes in those who are at risk of developing the disease.

Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Maine: "Healthy Hearts" and the "Healthy Heart Club" are aimed at extreme rural communities. The programs involve a cardiovascular disease educational campaign that includes a television series and recruiting farms, restaurants and grocery stores to increase community access to healthy foods. The programs will also work with individuals who have heart disease to transition to a plant-based diet.

Children's Hospital in Bronx, N.Y.: "Bronx Nutrition and Fitness Initiative for Teens" is aimed at morbidly obese African-American and Hispanic teens. The goal is to motivate, teach and support teenagers to adopt healthful nutrition and physical activity habits through medical evaluation, management and after-school nutritional and physical exercise sessions and summer camps.

Cornerstone Assistance Network (CAN) in Fort Worth, Texas: "Cardio CAN" is a clinic-based, bilingual program aimed at low-income patients. The program is designed to improve the cardiovascular health of participants through cardiovascular and nutritional education, cooking classes and fitness training.

El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission in Austin, Texas: "¡Salud Hoy! Formando Familias Saludables" is an after-school program aimed at building healthy families in Austin. The bilingual program strives to teach children, and their families, ways to get healthy through recreational activities that focus on health education, exercise and behavioral health.

Family Focus in Chicago: "Healthy Hearts and Families" will provide cardiovascular health education to families in the metropolitan Chicago area. The goal of the program is to decrease the risk of heart disease though education workshops, physical fitness activities and partnerships.

Gulf Coast Health Educators in Pass Christian, Miss.: "Chronic Disease Management and Prevention Program" is aimed at low-income, underserved people on the Gulf Coast. The program empowers individuals to take charge of their health by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote healthy lifestyles to reduce health risks.

Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas: "A to Z: HeartAware Reaching Rural Populations" is aimed at rural communities and is designed to reduce the incidence of heart attack, heart failure and stroke through risk factor screening, treatment, health care access, advocacy and evaluation.

St. Mary's Health Wagon in Clincho, Va.: "The Health Wagon" is aimed at rural, low-income disadvantaged Appalachian counties and communities. The goal of the program is to improve cardiovascular health through delivery of screenings, patient care and education provided by the mobile health unit.

Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas: "Sprouting Healthy Kids/Sprouting Healthy Communities" is aimed at students in economically disadvantaged areas and is designed to improve nutrition literacy and access to healthy foods through after-school programs and community-based gardening activities.

University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Mich.: "Project Healthy Schools," a community-University of Michigan collaborative, provides middle-school-based programming and environmental change to reduce childhood obesity and long-term health risks.

Vision y Compromiso in El Cerrito, Calif.: "Healthy Families, Healthy Hearts" is designed to improve awareness of heart-healthy habits leading to better nutrition, increased physical activity and reduced stress for Latino families.

West Virginia Health Right in Charleston, W.Va.: "Pathways to Cardiovascular Health" is aimed at uninsured working-poor and low-income adults. The program is designed to improve cardiovascular health status through participation in education classes, screenings and self-management of diet, exercise and medication adherence.