NMC Alliance Newsletter

July 2019  Volume 3, Number 2

National Minority Cardiovascular Alliance Co-Chairs

Gladys P. Velarde, MD

David S. Kountz, MD

Fatima Rodriguez, MD

We are pleased to announce that Fatima Rodriguez, MD has accepted the role of NMC Alliance Co-Chair, joining Dr. Gladys Velarde and Dr. David Kountz! Dr. Rodriguez is a Professor of Cardiology at Stanford University. She also serves as an Associate Editor for the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal Watch Cardiology. We are thrilled to have such an accomplished and thoughtful leader on board as we approach our fourth year.

Our Mission The NMC Alliance’s nationally renowned thought-leaders have been assembled to develop an action agenda in support of those living with cardiovascular disease who are of Hispanic/Latino, African American, Native American or Asian/Pacific Islander descent. Together, the goal is to strengthen the Alliance’s constituents through shared purpose, increased capacity, and expanded resources.

 We Want to Hear from You! Take our quick survey and tell us about upcoming events.

Tell Us About Upcoming Events!

The National Minority Cardiovascular (NMC) Alliance is fully entrenched in its third year. In this newsletter, we are very pleased to share upcoming Alliance activities through the end of 2019.  Equally important, we also want to understand the activities of our member organizations, and ensure they get wide dissemination. Please take a few moments now to share events your organization will be leading, speaking at, attending, or otherwise supporting. It is important for all our members to be aware of the great work being done to support minority health. (The red link is located just above this blue box.)

Ongoing Projects Online Hub A cornerstone of the NMC Alliance mission is to be a clearinghouse of novel or primary as well as secondary data, which aligns with our mission of closing the gap in cardiovascular health outcomes. With this vision, we are working to create an online Hub - an interactive resource that serves as a central repository of current and archived data, articles (academic journals and lay press), and other unique information shared by organizations with similar missions.

CARISOL (Cholesterol and Risk in the Study of Latinos) In 2014, the American Heart Association (AHA) released a scientific statement on the status of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in Hispanic/Latinos in the United States. It was noted that there is a lack of comprehensive data addressing Hispanic health and CVD. This has led to a decreased understanding of risk factors that contribute to disparities for Hispanics and Latinos. To this end, there is a need to characterize and evaluate the differences in CVD event risk across Hispanic/Latino sub-populations. In this project, we will be utilizing data and resources from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) database. This will allow us to examine lipid and blood cholesterol markers and their association with CVD outcomes across multiple Hispanic subgroups.

Patient Experience Survey The patient and provider perspectives are vital to understanding barriers and facilitators for improving minority cardiovascular health. The NMC Alliance is currently fielding a brief survey to understand the challenges faced by minority patients in managing their heart health. We are pleased to report that we are only 21 provider responses, and 6 Asian patient responses away from the finish line! Survey link for distribution (in multiple languages): makewellknown.org/nmc-alliance/ Each of our partners will receive notification once data analysis begins, and top-line data as the analysis progresses.

Thank you to everyone who helped us share our survey!

Engage with us on social media! Throughout 2019, the NMC Alliance has been working to strengthen its social media presence for the benefit of advancing and communicating member highlights and shared work. Currently, new content is being posted weekly. See the links at the bottom of this newsletter to visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.   We look forward to connecting with you!

Upcoming Events

NMC Annual Town Hall The NMC Alliance is delighted to be hosting our second annual Town Hall event in Washington, DC, in mid-October 2019. More details, including time and location, are forthcoming. The objective of this meeting is to raise visibility and awareness of the Alliance mission and membership to a broader circle of stakeholders, highlight the important work happening in this space, and connect organizations to foster collaboration. The 2 ½ hour program will offer a mix of speakers, panel discussions and interactive sessions.  This is a free, open event and we urge you to speak to your colleagues and those within your extended networks about attending the meeting. We believe all attendees will find the Town Hall meeting to be a valuable experience.

______________________________________

Congressional Briefing "High Cholesterol in Our Communities: Strategies for a Healthier Future" RSVP Due by July 24, 2019 Thursday, July 25, 2019 12:00 - 1:00 PM 2043 Rayburn HOB 45 Independence Ave. SW Washington, D.C. 20515

RSVP

Latest Articles of Interest

The association of religious affiliation with cholesterol levels among South Asians: the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America study (Hirode, et al.) Perceptions of Rural African American Adults About the Role of Family in Understanding and Addressing Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease (Ellis, et al.)

From Ambivalence to Revitalization: Negotiating Cardiovascular Health Behaviors related to Environmental and Historical Trauma in a Northwest American Indian Community (Beltran, et al.) Relationship between area mortgage foreclosures, homeownership, and cardiovascular disease risk factors: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (Chambers, et al.)

Thank you to our sponsors for their unrestricted support!

Make Well Known Foundation | 609-423-2849 | http://makewellknown.org/nmc-alliance/ ‌ ‌ ‌