leading the way for stroke prevention and care
Projects


"Let's Talk Three"

"Let's Talk Three" is a project in southeast Michigan sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, the Michigan Department of Community Health and partners. The new initiative was formed to raise awareness of the importance of keeping blood pressure under control and what people can do to accomplish that. As many as 3.5 million people in the state have high blood pressure and high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure.

The name "Let's Talk Three" serves many purposes. A key message in the initiative is that it might take 3 different medications over 3 months to get blood pressure under control. Too many individuals with high blood pressure think it should be easily controlled with one medication. There are other aspects to the "Let's Talk Three message. It might take 3 partners to control blood pressure, including the patient, the family and the physician, all working together to implement the recommendations. Additionally, it might take three lifestyle changes to get blood pressure under control: eating healthy, exercising, and controlling tobacco and alcohol.

The "Let's Talk Three" campaign was launched in southeast Michigan in Spring 2006.

Contact The National Kidney Foundation at (800) 482-1455 for more information about the program.

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Blood Pressure Measurement Quality Improvement: A Self-Instructional CD Program Using National Standards.

This training program is an update and review of the key factors for accurate blood pressure measurement technique using the most recent national recommendations for blood pressure determination. The program was developed by Shared Care, Inc., national leaders in blood pressure measurement training, with funding from the Michigan Department of Community Health. It is an interactive, self-paced CD program for all levels of healthcare clinicians. It incorporates a pre-test, review questions at eth end of each section and a post -test. It uses actual blood pressure measurements that must be interpreted by the participant. The program takes abut one hour to complete.

The program is approved for up to 1.2 contact hours with the Michigan Nurses Association. Participants will have to complete an additional evaluation for the contact hour certificate.

To order a free CD and evaluation form for the contact hours, call Jill Scott Gregus at (517) 335-9596 or email her at scottj1@michigan.gov This program is free ONLY within Michigan.

General questions about the program can be directed to Velma Theisen, Cardiovascular Health Section, Michigan Department of Community Health at (517) 335-8745 or by email at theisenv@michigan.gov

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Development of a State-Wide Thrombolytic System: Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Modeling to Enhance Stroke Care

This study explored the various GIS model parameters for optimum geographic selection of hospitals for development as acute stroke treatment centers in order to provide coverage to at least 95% of the entire Michigan population while avoiding duplication of service resources or exceeding hospital capacity constraints for new patients.

Click here to access a copy of the abstract which summarizes study methods, results and conclusions.

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"Get With the Guidelines-Stroke" Hospitals

"Get With the Guidelines-Stroke" is a continuous quality improvement program that helps hospitals begin the process for collecting and analyzing their stroke data and provides a continuous way for physicians and hospital staff to monitor their performance with the guidelines. The following hospitals have participated in Get With the Guidelines program:
    Beaumont Hospital

    Bixby Medical Center

    Borgess Medical Center

    Covenant Health Care

    Detroit Receiving Hospital

    Genesys Health System

    Henry Ford Health System

    Herrick Memorial Hospital

    Ingham Regional Medical Center

    Marquette General Health Partners

    Metro Health Hospital

    Northern Michigan Hospital

    Oakwood Healthcare System

    POH Medical Center

    St. John Macomb

    St. Joseph Mercy of Macomb

    St. Mary’s Saginaw

    Sparrow Health System

    University of Michigan Health System

    W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital



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Presented by the Michigan Department of Community Health