Good Partnerships + Good Preventive Practices = Good Outcomes: Implementation of the Magic City Stroke Prevention Project Mini-Grant Program & Lessons Learned from the Field

In 2005, 31.2% of Alabama adults had been told they had high blood pressure, compared to 25.5% for the U.S. The proportion of African-American in Birmingham is 73.5%. It follows that the city will have a higher rate of stroke risk factors than reported for the state. Specifically in Alabama, 32.6% African-Americans had high blood pressure, a major risk factor for the onset of stroke. The development of a community-based initiative sets the stage for the identification of strategies related to a large-scale urban health project.

The Magic City Stroke Prevention Project (MCSPP) is a comprehensive community-focused project designed to reduce the burden of stroke in Birmingham, AL through community planning and evaluation. It is comprised of both public and private organizations representing public health, health care, business, academia, government, and the faith community. A subsection of MCSPP is the mini-grant initiative. The mini-grant initiative supports organizations in efforts to advance from identifying stroke risk factors to implementing innovative programs through problem solving and interventions.

To date, 22 projects were funded totaling $220,000 over three years. 1744 households in Birmingham were directly impacted through customized programming. Diffused impact is estimated at 75,000 African-Americans in the area through radio messaging, door-to-door invitations, and word of mouth. Community dynamics and maintaining flexibility are key elements in health-education initiatives in predominately African-American urban areas.