Modivcare Partners with American College of Cardiology to Launch Caring Hearts Initiative in New Jersey
Modivcare Inc. (the "Company" or "Modivcare") (NASDAQ:MODV), a technology-enabled healthcare services company that provides a platform of integrated supportive care solutions focused on improving health outcomes, through its Higi service, highlights its partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) to introduce the Caring Hearts Initiative in Camden County, New Jersey. This initiative aims to bring essential supportive care services to communities with significant health disparities.
Caring Hearts is a grassroots, community-driven initiative designed to leverage the resources of national organizations like ACC and Modivcare, local community partners, and community corner store owners. Its goal is to deliver health and nutrition resources to underserved communities, addressing health disparities through strategic partnership and innovative programs. Camden County ranks #1 on the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJ EDA) Food Desert Relief Act Map and is one of several locations participating in this multi-city program.
Key activities in Camden County include:
- Placement of Higi Stations: These conveniently located health stations offer community members the opportunity to screen themselves for hypertension, obesity and diabetes risks, facilitating awareness and educational outreach.
- Connecting People to Resources: On-the-ground efforts will connect residents to food insecurity resources, including financial incentives provided by the Food Trust to community members and to corner store owners to stock fresh produce and vegetables.
- Educational Materials: Materials distributed through health stations increase knowledge of risk factors for heart disease and other conditions. Additionally, individuals gain access to information on heart health from CardioSmart, ACC's patient engagement program.
- Coalition of Partners: This collaborative effort involving Modivcare, ACC, The Food Trust and local store owners serves to deliver health and nutrition resources, aiming to reduce the prevalence of health disparities through traditionally underserved communities.
Milestones and Achievements:
- Risk Assessments: Caring Hearts Higi Stations in New Jersey and nationally have conducted 400,000 heart risk tests, collecting information on family history, lifestyle and weight to assess the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Vaccine Awareness Program: Now in its third year under a grant program with Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), the Caring Hearts Initiative educates and provides resources to the community, reinforcing the importance of immunizations in preventing heart disease and stroke.
- Partnerships: Long-standing collaboration with a non-governmental organization to address key health barriers through multi-year programs.
- Higi Station Impact: Modivcare's Higi Stations have already significantly increased community health in Camden Caring Hearts locations by conducting over 4,000 screenings thus far, contributing to increased health awareness, early detection and better management of chronic conditions.
"We are proud to collaborate with the ACC and local Camden partner, The Food Trust, on the Caring Hearts Initiative," said L. Heath Sampson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Modivcare. "This key partnership allows us to connect with the right local partners and make a meaningful impact in the community by providing essential health and nutrition resources. By making these connections to care, we are fostering an environment that supports the health and well-being of the members we serve."
"With the Caring Hearts Initiative, our goal is to provide ongoing support resources for food security, nutrition and meal planning through our community partners, and in-store health screening services and patient risk assessments with Higi and Modivcare," said Dick Kovacs, MD, MACC, Chief Medical Officer of the ACC. "All of which have a direct impact on heart health. This initiative exemplifies how strategic partnerships can effectively address health disparities."
"The Food Trust is honored to be part of the Caring Hearts Initiative, which enhances the healthy food access, nutrition incentive, nutrition education and resource navigation work our organization has done with small stores in Camden for the last decade," says Nyssa Entrekin, MS, RD, Associate Director of Community Based Programming at The Food Trust. "Adding a blood pressure machine to a store that's available at all times has been a huge asset in the community. Store owners and shoppers have told staff that they frequently use the machine and it's transformed the way they see the store."
With its presence in three cities nationally, 12 corner stores and community center locations and over 9,500 completed screenings, the Caring Hearts Initiative is a significant step toward creating more inclusive and healthier communities. This initiative showcases the power of collaboration between national organizations and local partners to drive social change and ensure that everyone, regardless of their physical abilities or economic status, has access to the resources they need to lead healthier lives.
About Modivcare
Modivcare Inc. (NASDAQ:MODV) is a technology-enabled healthcare services company that provides a platform of integrated supportive care solutions for public and private payors and their members. Our value-based solutions address the social determinants of health (SDoH), enable greater access to care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. We are a leading provider of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), personal care and remote patient monitoring. To learn more about Modivcare, please visit www.modivcare.com.
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