By Kim Gonzales, Executive Director of Las Animas-Huerfano Counties District Health Department
Las Animas Huerfano Counties District Health Department (LAHCDHD) was contacted in fall of 2015 by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) about ASTHO’s (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials) Million Hearts learning collaborative. The primary focus was high blood pressure and community-clinical linkages relating to the condition. As a public health department serving the unique needs of two rural/frontier counties, we already viewed the creation and maintenance of these types of linkages as our duty in enhancing public health. Our mission statement starts with “In partnership with the community.” This was a perfect fit.
Since accepting the opportunity to work on a learning collaborative under the guidance of CDPHE, we have implemented a standardized blood pressure measurement guideline, a protocol for identification of hypertension and referral to primary care, and a bi-directional referral process. This has all been in partnership with primary care clinics and other community agencies. Community members are identified with high blood pressure, and we are now asking their permission to send a referral to be seen at their primary care provider’s office. Primary care clinics then make a phone call to schedule an appointment. Getting high blood pressure treated will go a long way towards achieving the Million Hearts goal of reducing heart attacks and strokes by 1 million.
We were excited to leverage worksite wellness deliverables as we scheduled worksite blood pressure screenings. Not surprisingly, there were a number of community members shocked to find they had high blood pressure. We shared the collaboratively developed referral list with these folks and recommend referral to resources. From now on, each agency can make same-day referrals for primary care, exercise classes at Mt. Carmel Health and Wellness Center, tobacco cessation classes at the health department, diabetes workshops at Mt. San Rafael Hospital Clinic, or Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops at Spanish Peaks Outreach Clinic. As referrals are received and phone calls are made, each agency provides feedback regarding the referral status. Our communication has improved tenfold with the effort we’ve put into the Million Hearts Initiative.
Our biggest success has been a newfound strength in collaboration. We never knew how much we had available until we worked together for a few months developing the referral system. We cannot go back to the way things were before joining the Million Hearts Initiative. The referral forms we’ve created are in use at various agencies across both counties, and awareness is increasing regarding available resources. Our counties are growing and changing. The Million Hearts Initiative and ASTHO learning collaborative have positioned us and our Million Hearts Partners to walk forward together into a new and hopeful future for the bi-county region; a future in which medical establishments are aware of what is available to their patients for them to lead healthy, productive, happy lives. One day it will be as simple as the click of a button. And all this was made possible through ASTHO’s learning collaborative and our participation in the Million Hearts Initiative.
Las Animas Huerfano Counties District Health Department (LAHCDHD) was contacted in fall of 2015 by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) about ASTHO’s (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials) Million Hearts learning collaborative. The primary focus was high blood pressure and community-clinical linkages relating to the condition. As a public health department serving the unique needs of two rural/frontier counties, we already viewed the creation and maintenance of these types of linkages as our duty in enhancing public health. Our mission statement starts with “In partnership with the community.” This was a perfect fit.
Since accepting the opportunity to work on a learning collaborative under the guidance of CDPHE, we have implemented a standardized blood pressure measurement guideline, a protocol for identification of hypertension and referral to primary care, and a bi-directional referral process. This has all been in partnership with primary care clinics and other community agencies. Community members are identified with high blood pressure, and we are now asking their permission to send a referral to be seen at their primary care provider’s office. Primary care clinics then make a phone call to schedule an appointment. Getting high blood pressure treated will go a long way towards achieving the Million Hearts goal of reducing heart attacks and strokes by 1 million.
We were excited to leverage worksite wellness deliverables as we scheduled worksite blood pressure screenings. Not surprisingly, there were a number of community members shocked to find they had high blood pressure. We shared the collaboratively developed referral list with these folks and recommend referral to resources. From now on, each agency can make same-day referrals for primary care, exercise classes at Mt. Carmel Health and Wellness Center, tobacco cessation classes at the health department, diabetes workshops at Mt. San Rafael Hospital Clinic, or Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops at Spanish Peaks Outreach Clinic. As referrals are received and phone calls are made, each agency provides feedback regarding the referral status. Our communication has improved tenfold with the effort we’ve put into the Million Hearts Initiative.
Our biggest success has been a newfound strength in collaboration. We never knew how much we had available until we worked together for a few months developing the referral system. We cannot go back to the way things were before joining the Million Hearts Initiative. The referral forms we’ve created are in use at various agencies across both counties, and awareness is increasing regarding available resources. Our counties are growing and changing. The Million Hearts Initiative and ASTHO learning collaborative have positioned us and our Million Hearts Partners to walk forward together into a new and hopeful future for the bi-county region; a future in which medical establishments are aware of what is available to their patients for them to lead healthy, productive, happy lives. One day it will be as simple as the click of a button. And all this was made possible through ASTHO’s learning collaborative and our participation in the Million Hearts Initiative.
