Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Arkansas' WISEWOMAN Project - DP-23-0003 Project Abstract: Arkansas (AR) WISEWOMAN: Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation of WOMen Across the Nation Applicant Organization: Arkansas Department of Health, 4815 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205 Arkansas’s burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among women is high, particularly for under- and uninsured women who have limited access or lack access to healthcare. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, 2021) data for women show Arkansas ranks 15th among states for the highest prevalence of hypertension at 38.4% and 8th among states for the highest prevalence of hypercholesterolemia at 39.8%, respectively. Age-adjusted mortality data for 2021 from CDC Wide-ranging OnLine Data for Epidemiological Research (WONDER) show Arkansas ranks 1st among states for the highest Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) mortality and 2nd among states for the highest acute stroke mortality, respectively, among women. These data indicate the need for intensified and collaborative primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive efforts among Arkansan women to curb the burdens of CVDs and antecedent risk factors. Arkansas (AR) is an 1816 grantee and despite the unexpected, detrimental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AR WISEWOMAN Program was able to provide sustained CVD preventive health services to 405 eligible low-income, under- and uninsured women, ages 40-64, through 2023. As a result of this funding, all 405 (100.0%) of women received baseline screening, 85 (21.0%) and 46 (11.4%) were detected to have preexisting or de novo hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, respectively. Through laboratory testing, 138 (34.1%), 131 (32.4%), and 218 (53.8%) participants were detected to have hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and prediabetes, respectively. All participants (100.0%) were referred for Healthy Behavior Support Services (HBSS), 317 (78.3%) received at least one HBBS, and 201 (49.6%) completed criteria-defined HBSS for lifestyle modification to prevent new onset of CVD or control preexisting disease conditions. Blood pressure control was at 78.8% for those with preexisting hypertension. With DP-23-0003 funding, the AR WISEWOMAN Program and key partners will expand CVD preventive services specified under this NOFO to improve CVD outcomes with an emphasis on targeting socially vulnerable women. These strategies include: Strategy 1: track and monitor clinical measures shown to improve health and wellness, healthcare quality, and identify patients at risk of and with CVD, particularly hypertension; Strategy 2: implement team-based care to prevent and reduce CVD risk with a focus on hypertension prevention, detection, control, and management through the mitigation of social support barriers to improve outcomes; and Strategy 3: link community resources and clinical services that support comprehensive bidirectional referral and follow-up systems aimed at mitigating social support barriers and supporting participation in and completion of lifestyle change programs for participants at risk of and with CVD. AR WISEWOMAN will use a collaborative approach guided by data to implement DP-23-0003 strategy-related activities for National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) participants ages 35-64 to reduce their risk of CVD and poor outcomes and their associated social, psychological, and healthcare cost impacts, and focus on identifying and addressing social vulnerability experienced by program participants along with heart disease and stroke preventive efforts to improve CVD outcomes among participants.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).