Affinia Healthcare has been awarded $30,000 grant to support efforts to reduce high blood pressure in patients. The American Heart Association (AHA) Going for Gold and Beyond grant will allow staff to improve outcomes for patients with high blood pressure and other related conditions. 

The team executing the terms of the grant will consist of a pharmacist who will provide hypertension management and prescription education; a community health worker to address non-medical needs; and a behavioral health consultant for their services as needed. This grant will also allow eligible patients to receive food vouchers, blood pressure cuffs and for the first month, there is no copay for prescriptions if they are uninsured. 

“Providing exceptional service to our patients goes beyond medical appointments,” said Affinia Healthcare President & CEO Dr. Kendra Holmes. “We want to provide a holistic approach to help improve health outcomes which means providing education, access to healthy food items and other necessary tools for our patients.” 

About 55 percent of Black adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Black people also have higher rates of more severe high blood pressure than other ethnic groups and it develops earlier in life. 

Services under this grant will be enacted in 2025. For more information about Affinia Healthcare, visit www.affiniahealthcare.org.  

CAPTION: Cynthia Dickerson, medical assistant, administers a blood pressure test to an attendee at last summer’s Whitaker Summer Concert Series. Affinia Healthcare has received a $30,000 grant from the American Heart Association to provide expanded care for hypertension patients.