Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is applying for the US CDC-RFA-DP-23-0004 cooperative agreement to improve cardiovascular health (CVH) in the state of Maine. Maine CDC intends to implement evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) in priority populations in Maine. Maine CDC has selected the following populations and areas based on disproportionate risk for and prevalence of CVD and social vulnerability: adults over the age of 55, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals who are low-income, veterans, or living with a disability or depression. Maine CDC will also focus its efforts on rural northern counties and several centrally located small urban areas. Additionally, Maine CDC will engage with a diverse network of partners (i.e., health care organizations, community-based organizations, clinicians, Medicaid, and employers) to create a learning collaborative. This collaborative will develop a set of shared goals and a strategic plan to identify and address disparities related to CVH outcomes. Maine CDC will use strategies such as modified SDOH screening tools, team-based care, multidirectional e- referral systems, and connecting participants to community resources to reduce disparities and improve cardiovascular outcomes.
To ensure effective implementation, Maine CDC will select contracted partners best positioned to reach the identified priority populations using an RFP process and will also draw on relationships with non-contracted partners to adapt its approach to the communities of focus. Maine CDC will also engage with the Office of Population Health Equity who will provide subject matter expertise on implementation of strategies for populations with disproportionate disease burden due to socio-economic and systemic factors. Maine CDC will work to leverage already established partnerships with other US CDC-funded initiatives focused on asthma, comprehensive cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias to disseminate findings and spread lessons learned.
Maine CDC expects this work to result in positive outcomes for the people of Maine, including improved control of blood pressure and cholesterol, reduced disparities in hypertension and high cholesterol, and increased use of social services and supports among populations at high risk of CVD. Maine CDC has the organizational structure and capacity to support cost effective use of resources, and to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, in implementing DP23-0004. Maine CDC is confident in its capacity to achieve meaningful and measurable impact on reducing chronic disease burden and cost through this US CDC state-level investment over the next five years.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) 109 Capitol Street, 11 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04330-6846
