The American Heart Association Partners with Chicago State University to Change Lives

The American Heart Association (AHA) has partnered with Chicago State University (CSU) to develop and launch a healthy campus initiative called, Check.Change.Control. ™   Check.Change.Control.  is a Health Equity and Multicultural Initiative designed to close the gap in the treatment of high blood pressure.   

“Partnering with organizations like the American Heart Association that supports our mission to transform lives through education is part of our long-term strategic plan.  And we are pleased to be a partner,” said Interim President, Cecil B. Lucy, CSU. 

The first of its’ kind AHA university campus initiative, provides heart health education to students and staff of all ages and assist people with checking and managing their blood pressure regularly.  “The American Heart Association is proud to partner with Chicago State University as we collectively work to positively impact the health of CSU’s students, faculty members, and Chicagoland communities”, said, Santrice Martin, Senior Director, Multicultural Initiatives. 

The blood pressure screenings take place on campus and are conducted by students in health science programs like nursing, pharmacy, public health and occupational therapy.  Under the supervision of faculty facilitators, the specialized team of students gain interprofessional experience and are able to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom.

“One out of every three adults over the age of 20 has high blood pressure and nearly 20% don’t even know they have it”, said, Dr. Leslie Roundtree, Dean, College of Health Sciences at CSU.  “It is our mission in the colleges of health science and pharmacy to educate our community about prevention strategies and prepare our students for the workforce.”  Chicago State University has provided blood pressure screenings and education sessions to over 200 students and employees since February and will continue until they surpass their initial goal of 500 through April. 

Chicago State University and the American Heart Association plans to expand this initiative to the greater Chicagoland community later this spring.  Community members will be able to come to the university for free blood pressure screenings and healthy eating education.