OMH Launches "Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative" To Combat Burden of Stroke In Southern States

HHS, Office of the Secretary: Community-Focused Initiative To Reduce the Burden of Stroke

Deadline: May 12, 2004 (Letter of Intent)
Deadline: June 17, 2004 (Application)
CFDA No.: 93.004
Source: Federal Register: April 21, 2004

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Minority Health announce the availability for $2 million in funding for a cooperative agreement program for implementation of a core framework entitled, "The Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative (SBEI)."

Among the required community recipient activities are to establish and implement activities that identify partners and coalitions that focus on chronic disease, especially stroke and high blood pressure. Additonally, the recipients will develop a "Stroke Belt Community Action Plan" and implement community-based interventions in an effort to identify and implement high priority, intervention strategies proven to prevent and control hypertension and stroke.

The goals of the Stroke Belt initiative are to increase community awareness and knowledge of hypertension and stroke, enhance early detection of high blood pressure and stroke with early referral to care, increase the community's adoption and use of lifestyle behaviors known to promote prevention and control of hypertension and stroke, and to enhance blood pressure control rates among community persons who are known to have hypertension and who are members of a health plan or otherwise visit health systems, clinics, or medical offices.

The Stoke Belt consists of seven core states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These States are part of the original 11 Stroke Belt States and either have a long history of ranking high in terms of stroke death rates or rank first in the 2001 analysis.

Special Guidelines for Technical Assistance Conference Call
A conference call will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 to provide technical assistance to potential applicants. Interested parties must register for the conference call by calling 301-594-0769, e-mail kcampbell@osophs.dhhs.gov.

Information will be provided at that time on the date and time of the conference call, the call-in number and the access code.

For more information, visit www.omhrc.gov/omh/whatsnew/2pgwhatsnew/fundingomh.htm or www.omhrc.gov/omh/whatsnew/2pgwhatsnew/funding716index.htm.