Program Highlights

Public Awareness of Symptoms of Heart Attack and Stroke
We partner with community and state level organizations to increase public awareness of the symptoms of heart attack and stroke. Recognition of the symptoms and what to do if you or a loved one should suffer from a life-threatening event includes use of 911, as well as CPR and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) where available.

Maine HeartSafe Communities
A cooperative project of the MCVHP and Maine Emergency Medical Services (EMS). HeartSafe Communities recognizes local efforts to provide strong cardiovascular-related emergency care for residents and visitors, and promotes partnerships between EMS services and community partners to improve overall cardiovascular health and awareness. Learn more about HeartSafe Communities.

Worksite Wellness Support
The Maine Cardiovascular Health Program provides tools, resources and links that foster use of best practice, systematic approaches to worksite health promotion for Maine employers. Healthy Maine Works is an online tool that guides employers in developing worksite wellness programs. It offers assessment tools to establish health related priorities, provides detailed recommendations for new programs, and allows users to sort and prioritize activities and create wellness action plans which can be downloaded or printed. To learn more about this and other program resources visit our Worksite page.

Promoting the Chronic Care Model
We are also working with Healthy Maine Partnerships and other Maine CDC Programs to help increase the awareness of available local chronic disease self management resources and strengthen the connections between health care provider and the community resources. The Chronic Care Model provides a unique way to promote system change in health care settings and assures quality of care. The primary goal is the control of hypertension and high blood cholesterol through patient and provider adherence to recognized cardiovascular disease primary and secondary prevention guidelines. We are also working with Healthy Maine Partnerships and other Maine CDC Programs to help strengthen the health care provider, community connections and increase the awareness of available local chronic disease self management resources.

Health Care Intervention to improve the detection and control of high blood pressure

  • Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement
  • Guideline Awareness and Utilization
  • Participation in Public Reporting or Recognition Programs such as National Committee for Quality Assurance or Bridges to Excellence
  • Care Team Integration
  • Patient Self-management support

Worksite Blood Pressure Pilot
In July 2008, the MCVHP began implementation and evaluation of a worksite pilot to improve the prevention, detection and control of high blood pressure in two small, rural manufacturing worksites. The MCVHP partnered with the Wellness Council of Maine to recruit two worksites underrepresented in public health efforts, yet with demonstrated success with worksite wellness. The intervention includes the following:

  1. Accurate blood pressure equipment is available at the worksite
  2. Properly trained staff
  3. Promotion of the availability of blood pressure monitoring for all employees

Resources for Screeners
These “Quick Guides for Screeners” go through the steps of taking accurate blood pressure and cholesterol and suggested follow-up.

Wisdom Gained from the Heart
This 11-minute video touchingly highlights Maine Women sharing their personal stories of surviving and living with cardiovascular disease. The video also features discussions by experts about CVD. View the video.