Description/Purpose:
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for
men and women in Carroll County, as it is in
Maryland and the United States. Some people are more
likely to have a heart attack or stroke because of
their risk factors, which are behaviors or
conditions that increase the chance of disease. Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as
pre-existing heart disease, increasing age and
family history of heart disease.
Many factors can be controlled and can decrease a
persons chances of developing heart disease. The
risk factors which can be controlled are smoking or
using tobacco products, high blood pressure, high
blood cholesterol, overweight and obesity, physical
activity and diabetes. Management of these areas
greatly improves heart health.
Goals and Objectives:
The goal of the Heart Health Improvement Team is to
improve the cardiovascular health and quality of
life of adults and children in our community through
prevention, detection and treatment of disease.
The objectives of the Heart Health Improvement Team
relate to these areas in helping to prevent heart
disease and improve heart health.
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1. |
Support efforts to decrease access and
exposure to tobacco. |
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2. |
Support the work of Project ACES-Active
Children excel in School and other
initiatives to increase physical
activity in youth. |
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3. |
Advocate to increase proportion of
adults who are taking actions (lose
weight, increase activity, reduce
sodium) to help control blood pressure. |
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4. |
Increase awareness of early warning
signs of heart attack and stroke and the
importance of early access to emergency
response system. |
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5. |
Assess local use of Automated External
Defibrillators (AEDs); recommend
placement according to AHA and OSHA
standards, and coordinate resources to
improve availability of these devices in
our community. |
Accomplishments:
The Heart Health Improvement Team supports the youth physical activity challenge “Project ACES-Active Children Excel in School” offered each year in local public and private elementary schools. “Project ACES” is coordinated by a coalition of community members of the Children’s Heart Health Action Team. The program has won state and national recognition as a successful school and community program to increase physical activity in youth, with awards from the Maryland School Health Council, Maryland Advisory Council on Physical Fitness, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association.
The Heart Health Improvement Team also supports efforts of Carroll County Public Schools to increase physical activity in Carroll County middle schools with "Go the Extra Mile" and with the addition of fitness centers in all nine middle schools.
Awareness and education efforts to the public include news articles about heart-healthy behaviors and of the warning signs of heart attack and stroke. The Team promotes educational programs and screenings offered by Carroll Hospital Center and the Health Department’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program.
The Heart Health Improvement Team has an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) sub-committee which assesses availability in Carroll County, increases public education and advocates for increasing access to AED's. Carroll County continues to add new locations, including churches, schools, and businesses. All of the high schools in the County, including Gateway School, have AED's. Many facilities which host large numbers of people are adding AED's to their safety programs. Placement of AED's is regulated by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. Complete information about requirements regarding placement, training and maintenance can be found on their web site.
Community Support/Partners:
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Carroll County Health Department |
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Carroll Hospital Center |
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Carroll County Public Schools |
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Carroll County Department of Recreation
and Parks |
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Carroll County Emergency Medical
Services |
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Carroll Area Transit |
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McDaniel College |
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MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Associates,
PA |
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Westminster City Department of Parks and
Recreation |
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Community CPR and AED Instructors |
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Volunteers |
Contact Information:
For more information or if you are interested in joining this work group, see Heart Health Improvement Team under Partnership Work Groups.
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