The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) plans to utilize CDC funds to support implementing and evaluating evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease in Illinois. Emphasis will be placed on reducing health disparities and cardiovascular disease risk factors through identifying and addressing social services and support needs for the priority populations identified in this application.
IDPH has followed the CDC-RFA-DP-23-0004 logic model outlined in the notice of funding opportunity to develop the work plan and performance measure strategies. IDPH also evaluated successes, challenges, and lessons learned during the 1815 project period to bolster the work plan and activities outlined in this application.
Through the implementation of pilot projects and collaboration amongst the Learning Collaborative, Illinois will see a noticeable improvement in overall cardiovascular health, not only in the target/priority populations, but statewide and will be better prepared to identify, address, and reduce disparities in cardiovascular health.
The populations targeted in grant activities are those residents living in communities ranking in the top half in social vulnerability, based on the CDC’s social vulnerability Index (SVI), where the prevalence of hypertension is 31% or greater and the prevalence of high cholesterol is 29% or greater. We know that the demographic groups most frequently meeting these criteria are the Black and Rural populations of Illinois and plan on targeting them with the activities in this grant.
Outcomes Illinois plans to achieve during this grant period include:
Increased number of clinical settings utilizing standardized policies/protocols in their electronic health records (EHR) or health information technology (HIT) to report, monitor, and track clinical and social services and support needs to improve detection of health care disparities.
Increased use of standardized processes or tools to identify, assess, track, and address the social services and support needs of patient populations at highest risk of CVD.
Increased use of EHR or HIT to support communication and coordination among care team members to monitor and address patients’ hypertension and high cholesterol.
Promotion and implementation of the use of multi-disciplinary care-teams using evidence-based guidelines and policies to address patients’ social services and support needs.
Increased number of health practitioners utilizing multidisciplinary care teams to address identified barriers.
Increased use of community clinical linkages to identify and respond to social services and support needs of target/priority populations.
An increase in the number of Community Health Workers (CHW) that can provide continuum of care, provide lifestyle change programs, and assess and address social services and support needs. Illinois will work to increase the number of CHWs trained to deliver lifestyle change programs.
Increased use of Self-Measured Blood Pressure with clinical support within target/priority populations, starting with pharmacists/pharmacies, and expanding to add additional clinical care providers.
Illinois will see improved blood pressure control among target/priority populations within partner health care and community settings by identifying and addressing social services and support needs to reduce disparities.
Illinois will see an Increased utilization of social services and support among populations at highest risk of CVD, with a focus on hypertension and high cholesterol.
