Heart Disease: Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance

Heart disease is the leading cause of death throughout Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance is committed to equal, just opportunities for everyone to be healthy. The reality is that some people have worse heart health outcomes than others because of unfair and unjust environmental, economic, and social factors beyond their control. People who live on lower incomes, people who live in rural areas, and people of color face significantly higher heart health risks in Wisconsin. These disparities worsened with the impact of COVID-19.

Multiple hands creating a heart shape

Now, more than ever, Wisconsin organizations need to team up on our efforts to fight heart disease. Let’s unite and commit to an improved focus on:

  • Heart disease prevention.
  • Disease management.
  • Health equity.

Who we are and what we do

The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance is a coalition of groups who share a commitment to improve heart health in Wisconsin. The group includes:

  • Professional organizations.
  • Health care organizations.
  • Community agencies.
  • Public health representatives.

We work together to improve prevention, screening, management, and treatment of heart disease, stroke, and co-morbid chronic conditions. Our group generally meets virtually twice a year on various topics.

The Wisconsin Heart Health Alliance works to promote:

  • Best practices.
  • Collaborative activities.
  • Organizational and professional relationships.
  • Ideas that help improve the heart health of all Wisconsin residents.

The Alliance also commits to health equity. This is the highest guiding principle for our work. We recognize that best practices haven’t truly been achieved until we remove all disparities of care in underserved communities.

View the series recordings to hear about best practices and stories of success from heart health experts. We hope you feel promise for Wisconsin’s future. Join us in reaffirming a commitment to heart health equity!

2024 Heart Health Alliance Virtual Meeting

Tuesday, July 23

Covering Wisconsin

Stephanie Severs
Insurance Literacy and Communications Manager
Stephanie.Severs@wisc.edu

Adam VanSpankeren
Navigation Program Manager
Adam.Vanspankeren@wisc.edu

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Wisconsinites. Some residents experience worse health outcomes because of environmental, economic, and social factors beyond their control. A population at increased risk for poor heart health is individuals with Medicaid insurance. For example, hypertension control rates for individuals with Medicaid are 10% lower (75%) compared to those with Medicare (85%). CDPP and our partners want to improve our reach to Wisconsinites with Medicaid and tailor programs to better meet their needs. At this Heart Health Alliance meeting Stephanie Severs and Adam VanSpankeren from Covering Wisconsin explained the basics of Medicaid to help partners better serve individuals with that coverage.

Tuesday, April 25

Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Chronic Disease Prevention Program

Jessica Kimber
Community Health Specialist
Jessica.Kimber@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Morgan Krhin
Community Health Worker Coordinator
Morgan.Krhin@dhs.wisconsin.gov

At this Heart Health Alliance meeting, Jessica Kimber and Morgan Krhin from the WI DHS Chronic Disease Prevention Program share more about what CHWs do and how organizations can support their work as allies. Featured are two amazing CHWs doing transformative work here in Wisconsin. LaTrice Luckett will share insights from her work in Milwaukee and Olga Meza will share insights from her work in Wood County. Together they highlight how CHWs are supporting families in both urban and rural areas of the state, lessons from the ground on barriers to heart health, and how they provide culturally appropriate support to help their communities live longer and healthier.

2023 Heart Health Alliance Virtual Meeting

Tuesday, November 28

Prevea Health

Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health

At this meeting we will engage in discussion on how we can improve collaboration and put those best practices into action to make measurable differences in improving heart health in Wisconsin.

2023 Heart Health Equity Learning Series

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Chronic Disease Prevention Program and the Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund, Inc. hosted the second annual Heart Health Equity Learning Series.

In the two sessions, local and national evidence-based improvement tools were shared, as well as implementation and success examples.

Session 1: Tuesday, March 7

Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association

Joanna Dagenais, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, Director of Clinical Education

This session shares best practices from PCNA’s work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as tools and resources for all health care providers looking to address health inequities.

Session 2: Wednesday, March 15

Million Hearts®

Kinetra Joseph, MMC, Campaign Director, Alliance for Million Hearts®

Taylor Streeter, MPH, Health Scientist, ASRT Inc., Million Hearts®

This session features best practices, resources, and success stories on Million Hearts hypertension control and health equity strategies including:

2022 Heart Health Equity Learning Series

Session 2

By Sonia Ayala, MA, LCSW, Esperanza Health

Session 3

By Dr. Ed Behling, medical director; and Tammie Garris, quality improvement director for Hope Health Centers of Florence, SC

Session 4

By Rebecca Thompson, Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund president and CEO; Dr. Michelle Robinson, DHS Office of Health Equity director; Jonette Arms, DHS Division of Public Health assistant administrator; Margarita Northrop, DHS Healthy Wisconsin coordinator; and Anne Gargano Ahmed, DHS Heart Health coordinator

Heart Health Alliance resources from 2021 and before

View recordings from past Alliance meetings

Join our Alliance

We invite you, as an individual or organization, to join us.

Contact us if you’re interested in sharing your experience, training, advocacy, energy, and resources to improve heart health and transform health care.

Email DHSChronicDiseasePrevention@dhs.wisconsin.gov to get details about future meetings.

Glossary

 
Last revised July 31, 2024