180280 Good Partnerships + Good Preventive Practices = Good Outcomes: Implementation of the Magic City Stroke Prevention Project Mini-Grant Program & Lessons Learned from the Field

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 9:15 AM

Shauntice Allen, MA , School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Joseph Telfair, DrPH, MSW, MPH , Department of Public Health Education, School of Health and Human Performance, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
LaToya Bishop, MPH , School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, the participant will be able to: 1. Discuss lessons learned from designing and implementing a city-wide mini-grant program 2. Develop three strategies for implementing a community-based stroke prevention project in an urban Southeastern city. 3.Construct collaborative techniques in working with public and private organizations including: public health, health care, business, academia, government, and the faith community.

Keywords: Community Participation, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Designed the implementation and evaluation plan for the aforementioned program
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.