Media Advisory: UB nursing school aims to save 1,000 hearts in Buffalo community

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Today, students and faculty in the University at Buffalo School of Nursing begin their mission to prevent 1,000 heart attacks and strokes in the local community as a part of Million Hearts, a nationwide initiative to save 1 million hearts by 2017.

WHAT: UB nursing students and faculty will perform screenings at five Buffalo churches – all in underserved areas – for blood pressure control, cholesterol management and stress. Students will also recommend aspirin therapy to patients based on screening results, and provide guidance on quitting smoking and stress reduction.

After the screenings, Millennium Collaborative Care will help guests check their eligibility for Medicaid or other health insurance and find a primary care physician.

WHO: The campaign is a partnership between the UB School of Nursing, Millennium Collaborative Care and Greater Buffalo United Ministries.

WHEN: The first screenings are today, March 22, from 5-7 p.m.

WHERE: Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church at 641 Masten Ave. in Buffalo.

Media are invited to attend. On-site contact is Marcene Robinson, 716-207-5814 or marcener@buffalo.edu.

WHY: The Million Hearts initiative, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was created to combat the rise of heart disease and stroke, the first and fifth leading causes of death in the United States.

Every 43 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack, many of them fatal, and, on average, one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes. Both diseases account for a third of all deaths in the nation, according to Million Hearts.

“The mission of the School of Nursing is to promote the health and wellness of our local communities. This collaboration is an opportunity for the students and faculty to live the mission of the school,” says Susan Grinslade, PhD, RN, assistant dean for undergraduate programs in the UB School of Nursing.

“Engaging in this initiative provides an opportunity to promote the health and well-being of Buffalo inner city residents who may have limited access to health care and health promotion.”

The screenings, coordinated by Grinslade and Dianne Loomis, DNP, RN, clinical associate professor in the UB School of Nursing, will allow nursing students to complete their curriculum service learning requirement, providing both practical experience and greater cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Future screening dates include:

• March 28, from 5-7 p.m. at Agape Fellowship Baptist Church at 172 Johnson St.
• April 4, from 5-7 p.m. at Hope Well Baptist Church at 1301 Fillmore Ave.
• April 16, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church at 665 Michigan Ave.
• TBD, at Bethesda World Harvest International Church at 1365 Main St.

The School of Nursing will coordinate additional screenings in the summer and fall.

Millennium Collaborative Care, supported by Erie County Medical Center, is a Performing Provider System under New York State’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program serving Western New York’s eight counties.

For more information about Million Hearts, visit millionhearts.hhs.gov.